Re: [CORE] RC1 blocker issues

Tom Lane wrote:
> Peter Eisentraut <peter_e(at)gmx(dot)net> writes:
> > Josh Berkus wrote:
> >> Overall, I submit that our release process is broken, and that we're
> >> having trouble getting this release out because nobody is paying
> >> attention to it (of which I too have been guilty off-and-on).
>
> > We also have this issue every year, but the time from beta to release
> > has always been about three months. With the buildfarm helping out,
> > we're a couple of weeks early this time. Rejoice.
>
> I'm not sure that the process is broken, but I agree that there's been
> way too little focus on testing this time around; it seems that most of
> the chatter on pgsql-hackers since beta started has been about ideas for
> 8.3 development. Have we caused that by deciding to have a short 8.3
> devel cycle, ie, do people feel they needed a head start? If so, it's
> bad, but the damage is already done, and won't be repeated as long as we
> go back to a more normal schedule after 8.3. If there's another force
> at work, what is it?

I have been pushing people to announce and ask for feedback on 8.3 work,
particularly because many didn't do that for 8.2, and because 8.3 will
be a short cycle. Seeing the problems it caused, I have backed off from
doing this anymore.

> I am a bit worried about this, because we're predicating the decision
> to release 8.2 now on the lack of bug reports; if that's due to lack of
> testing rather than lack of bugs, we might have a disaster in the
> making. But there's no way to know that now, and really I see no value
> in being fearful at this point. If we delayed a month, we'd be in
> pretty much just the same situation a month from now.

My feeling is that the community sees there are beta and RC candidates.
If they don't want to test them and report, there isn't much more we can
do. Fundamentally it is the community's release.

--
Bruce Momjian bruce(at)momjian(dot)us
EnterpriseDB http://www.enterprisedb.com

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