Re: [boost] All tools code frozen!

From: Vladimir Prus (vladimir_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-07-29 03:55:06

Any reply on below? 

- Volodya

> 
> [I though I've replied to this, but I don't see the reply -- which I definitely
> wrote -- neither in sent nor drafts folder. Apologies if somebody gets reply
> twice]
> 
> Rene Rivera wrote:
> 
>> Vladimir Prus wrote:
>>> Rene Rivera wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Since I don't enjoy reverting changes when I don't have the time (I'm in
>>>> the middle of my own product release). And since Boost is nearing the
>>>> end of a release cycle. *ALL* tool changes are hereby *FROZEN* except
>>>> for emergency fixes. Any changes must be approved by Beman or myself.
>>>> And such changes must include making sure Boost testing runs adequately
>>>> in *both* a Windows platform and a Unix platform. This means going to
>>>> the boost-root/status directory and running the tests for *at least one*
>>>> library, but preferably all of them.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for paying attention.
>>> 
>>> Pardon me, but what the hell? Do I really need to explain that branches in
>>> version control systems are intended specifically so that you don't have
>>> to *SHOUT IN EMPHASIZED UPPERCASE* whenever development branch, also known as
>>> trunk, gets broke? Or do we to understand that 1.36.0 beta 1, which is due
>>> due days ago, is going to be rolled from trunk? Or for some unknown reason,
>>> the testing process for release branch uses tools from random other branch?
>> 
>> 1. Trunk is not the "development" branch.
> 
> Well, the wiki is very clear on that:
> 
>   Trunk
>   The main development and test location.
> 
> So, as documented, it *is* development branch.
> 
>> We've said in the past, as
>> part of the new release procedures, that it should be maintained in a
>> stable form. And that "development" should be done in branches as needed
>> by individuals. This hold for tools just as much as it holds for libraries.
> 
> I don't think I know of any project that believes that it's OK for trunk
> to be broken (as in, regression tests failing) for a significant periods of
> time. But on the other hand, I don't think I know any project where issues
> appearing in trunk result in immediate revert of the commit. I don't think
> the Boost wiki documents such drastic approach either, and I don't think it
> should.
> 
> The commit in question is an isolated commit, which is not part of any
> major rework supposed to caused any instability. "Developing" it on branch
> would be fairly weird, and given that we don't have any way to run tests
> on random branch, it might not prevent any mistakes.
> 
>> 2. Testing uses the BBv2 tools from trunk because it's been pointed out
>> before, not sure if it was you, that the trunk BBv2 tools should be the
>> ones released with the Boost releases. Hence we need to test with those
>> tools. I'm more than happy to have a BBv2 release that we could use for
>> testing that is sufficiently stable and has all the needed fixes for a
>> Boost release.
> 
> I don't think I said exactly that. I do think that on the average, any
> random snapshot of Boost.Build is strictly better than either the previous
> release, or the state included in previous C++ Boost release, and so trunk
> state at some point should be automatically included in next C++ Boost
> release. But I never said you should use "live" trunk version for C++ Boost
> releases, precisely for the same reason you don't use "live" trunk version
> of any individual library.
> 
> As soon as merge from trunk to release branch is made, the release branch
> version of Boost.Build should be used for testing the release, and only
> fixes for issues found during such testing should be further merged. There's
> no need to make formal release of Boost.Build, just as you don't require
> separate formal release of each Boost library to be included in upcoming
> C++ Boost release.
> 
> So, what prevents using release version of Boost.Build, and other tools,
> for testing the release? Can you adjust the testing infrastructure to
> do so?
> 
> - Volodya
> 
> 
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