[vlc-devel] Release process (was [RFC] Requesting backport of audiotoolbox_midi to VLC 3.0)

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

	Hello,

Le maanantaina 4. joulukuuta 2017, 22.38.40 EET David Fuhrmann a écrit :
(...)
> In general, I’m not sure back port of this new module is acceptable
> currently, in respect to our release plans. I think goal is to do more and
> faster releases, also major ones. But in the past, major releases were
> often delayed already because of late / intrusive „late“ changes, afaik.

This. I could not agree more.

It really is not hard. It comes to two very simple rules:

1) DO NOT promise a feature (or fix) that is not already merged. Ever.

2) DO NOT add features or invasive changes during code freeze, at least not  
without discussion on the mailing list and careful weigh in.

And if it comes to that:

1bis) DO DISAVOW any promise of a feature not yet merged.

2bis) DO REVERT any code freeze violation.

> So
> in general I believe we should strive for a mode where we do faster and
> more releases, and then the time would be smaller as well until new modules
> like this hits a release.

As far as I can tell, it just is not going to happen. 3.0 stabilization, and 
4.0 development are already unfolding just like the previous versions. I have 
already spotted promises of certain difficult features in 4.0 (_not_ counting 
Trac here). And everybody should have spotted a new feature and its invasive 
changes to frozen 3.0 (WebVTT/CSS).

Sure, it is not as bad as merging of the half-baked resumption feature several 
months into the 2.2 freeze on the one hand, or the promises of Chromecast 
support and universal hardware decoding in 3.0 development on the other hand.

But it is clear that not every key member of the community is _really_ onboard 
for real time-boxed releases. As such, I have zero confidence and belief in a 
4.0 code freeze in september 2018.

Besides the fact that it´s already called 4.0 rather than 3.1 is a cause for 
concern of its own - unless we plan to shift the release number increments to 
the left once again.

-- 
雷米‧德尼-库尔蒙
https://www.remlab.net/