Re: [boost] [git] [modular boost] Switchover schedule proposal

Subject: Re: [boost] [git] [modular boost] Switchover schedule proposal
From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-10-26 15:03:25

On Saturday 26 October 2013 13:56:28 Beman Dawes wrote:
> 
> For the individual libraries, the rhythm will different. That should become
> clearer over then next couple of weeks as we generate more documentation.
> 
> For the Boost super-project, the mechanics will be different but I think
> the big picture remains similar.  Let's set the release date using the
> usual formula. Perhaps set the beta release date a week earlier than usual
> to allow plenty of testing.
> 
> I'm wondering if a planned alpha release would also be a good thing? Its
> objective would be to work the kinks out of the release procedure, so it
> would just contain whatever updates happen to be ready. Cutoff dates would
> be unnecessary - given Git's easy branching and merging we could do an
> alpha without bothering developers with closing our main branches.
> 
> Beta and final releases may end up being similar to the alpha. There would
> be cutoff dates that have to be met to get changes into the release, but
> maybe we can eliminate the need to actually close branches.
> 
> I'd say go ahead and set some dates, with the caveat that they will change
> as our planning firms up.

I'd like to ask you (or anyone else working on the transition to git) to post 
a formal email to this list describing the final workflow with Boost for the 
developers, when the transition is complete. I know about master and develop 
branches and that there were scripts to checkout the monolithic Boost. But 
there are many more questions that need to be answered, like:

- Will there be a lockdown for master branches during the release cycle?
- Will there be support branches for particular releases?
- What branches will be tested?
- What is the procedure for me applying patches to the libraries I don't 
maintain (e.g. to fix breakage in an other library)?
- Will we keep using trac for tickets?

and all other things people need to know to perform the development, like 
before the transition. I'm not asking you to answer these questions right now, 
I just wanted to make sure that those not following closely all the 
conversations on the transition (like myself) won't be left in the 
uncertainty.