[cfe-dev] [6.0.0 Release] Scheduling the release

[Dimitry Andric via cfe-dev]

On 6 Dec 2017, at 18:28, Hans Wennborg via cfe-dev <cfe-dev at lists.llvm.org> wrote:
> 
> It's time to start making plans for the 6.0.0 release.
> 
> Following our regular schedule, the branch would occur about two weeks
> into January, on Wednesday 17 January 2018, with the goal of shipping
> early March. This is the schedule I would propose.
> 
> However, one large consumer of the branch has asked if we could start
> earlier this time, branching on 3 January instead (not moving the ship
> date), to get a longer period for stabilization that syncs with their
> internal process.

I have a few remarks.

1) We are still busy with the 5.0.1 release, and this next (major)
branching is pretty soon afterwards.  Please make sure not to burn out
your testers. :)

2) I would really like some sort of stabilization to take place *before*
major branching occurs.  (In FreeBSD land, we call this the "slush"
period.)  By now, it should be well-known when such major branching
happens, e.g. somewhere at the start of the year, and somewhere in the
middle.

So people should start stabilizing, say, one or two months in advance of
that.  Which means to postpone huge restructuring efforts, or adding big
new untested features, but concentrate on fixing bugs, ensuring test
cases succeed on all platforms, and generally getting the tree in "good
shape".

It would be nice if the release manager(s) sent a reminder about this
well in advance of the actual branch date, explicitly mentioning the
desire to stabilize.  Maybe mails like this could be used for such
reminders.

Having said all that, for me branching earlier is not a problem.  For
corporate contributors it would maybe be a bit soon after the holiday
season... :)

-Dimitry

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