r178 - /web/deps/dep10.mdwn

[seanius at users.alioth.debian.org]

Author: seanius
Date: Sun May  1 16:48:23 2011
New Revision: 178

URL: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/dep/?sc=1&rev=178
Log:
DEP-10: initial summary of past and present release methods

Modified:
    web/deps/dep10.mdwn

Modified: web/deps/dep10.mdwn
URL: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/dep/web/deps/dep10.mdwn?rev=178&op=diff
==============================================================================
--- web/deps/dep10.mdwn (original)
+++ web/deps/dep10.mdwn Sun May  1 16:48:23 2011
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 	 to remove the requirement that the testing suite must freeze during
 	 the release process.
 
+<a name="introduction">
 # Introduction / Problem scope
 
 Currently, as the project nears a new stable release, a freeze is instituted
@@ -59,3 +60,81 @@
 to the next release, as release goals will likely be set relative to
 the starting point.
 
+# Past and present release methods
+
+## Frozen (< 2000)
+
+Before the introduction of testing, Debian used a simple release process
+where the unstable suite was snapshotted into a `frozen` suite.  This suite
+would then be used exclusively for preparing the next stable release, with
+unstable continuing in parallel.
+
+    Before freeze       Freeze           Release
+
+    [unstable/sid]--------------------------------------------------------------
+                        \
+                        [frozen].-.-.-.-.[stable/R_N].-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
+     
+    [stable/R_N-1].-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.[oldstable/R_N-1].-.-.-(EOL)
+
+	--------: Normal activity.  Standard rules for uploads and migrations.
+	.-.-.-.-: Release targeted activity.  Freezes and limited uploads. 
+	\ \ \ \ : Package migration activity.
+
+
+### Benefits with the `frozen` method
+
+ * Work in unstable continued, unaffected by the freeze.
+
+### Problems with the `frozen` method
+
+ * Release work started from a buggy suite.
+ * Duplicated effort in unstable/frozen.
+ * RM had more work/responsibilities, and was prone to burn-out.
+
+## Testing (2000-Present)
+
+The testing suite was introduced in Debian between the release of potato
+and woody, in the fall of 2000[[1]].  The goal was to provide
+a suite that was in a better state for release preparation, by having
+both automated and manual tools to keep down the level of bugs and
+general volatility.
+
+As a pleasant and convenient side-effect, the new suite also provided
+a "slightly less buggy unstable" for developers and end-users, who wanted
+newer software/features not available in stable, but wanted some level
+of protection to the relatively unpredictable nature of unstable.
+
+    Before release         Freeze             Release
+
+    [unstable/sid]----------.--.--.--.-.-.-.-.-.-.------------------------------
+         \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \  \   \    \       \     \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \
+    [testing/R_N]----------.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.[testing/R_N+1]---------------
+                                         / / \
+                                        / /   [stable/R_N].-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
+                                       / /          /          /           /
+                                   [R_N p-u].-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
+
+    [stable/R_N-1].-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-[oldstable/R_N-1].-.-.-(EOL)
+
+	--------: Normal activity.  Standard rules for uploads and migrations.
+	.-.-.-.-: Release targeted activity.  Freezes and limited uploads. 
+	\ \ \ \ : Package migration activity.  Spacing of marks is a rough
+	          indication of frequency.
+
+During the freeze, the testing suite becomes entirely dedicated to the
+release work.  In practice, this also means that unstable is also to
+some extent frozen from non-release activity for many packages, since
+it still serves as the main route to testing for new uploads.
+
+### Benefits with the testing method
+
+ * Release branch has far fewer bugs at the start of the release process.
+ * (Ideally) shorter release process with fewer problems.
+ * Large user-base for testing stable-targeted fixes.
+
+### Problems with the testing method
+
+(See [Introduction](#introduction))
+
+[1]: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2000/08/msg00906.html