Re: [boost] 1.35 release approach (was [1.34.0] Deadline)

From: Jeff Garland (jeff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-05-01 10:42:28

Rene Rivera wrote:
> Jeff Garland wrote:
>> Now, I realize that we have a plan to switch to subversion and have a new 
>> process that has been developed by Beman, etc. But it's my view that we should 
>> pursue a CVS based approach because it requires zero time to implement.  In 
>> the meantime the subversion conversion can proceed in parallel.  When 
>> everything is 100% ready to go we switch.  My worry is that the conversion of 
>> regression testing, developers, and all other release process changes will 
>> wind up delaying 1.35 by several months.  Of course, if my pessimism is 
>> misplaced then we can switch to subversion for the 1.35 release.  Nothing will 
>> have been lost because we will have been testing new libs for 1.35 anyway.
> 
> I disagree. The one thing I've learned from the various Boost release, 
> and general development, is that developers will not do "parallel" if 
> they can avoid it. There are various reasons for this, but the most 
> obvious one is that people have very little time to volunteer. 

Sure, however, I don't think we're talking about the same people.  What are 
the authors of asio, gil, interprocess, etc going to do with the regression 
scripts for the the subversion switch other?  I doubt it's going to be much. 
In the meantime, we don't want them sitting idle, we want to get them the 
testing going and let them get to work on any porting issues.

> Hence if 
> we make the Subversion switch an additional task for people it will take 
> a long time to complete, because we just don't have enough people resources.
>

I agree we lack resources, but if we put conversion in front of testing new 
libs for 1.35, that, in itself, won't make it go any faster.  That's the main 
mistake we keep making.  Just because you 'serialize the activity' doesn't 
make it happen faster.  What we need to recruit additional people resources to 
do the work: go fix a web page, test out a script, etc. Right now, AFAICT, we 
have one very busy man (Doug Gregor) that is the only person working toward 
the subversion switchover.  Doug is a hugely capable person, but he is really 
busy and he's going to need help.

Jeff