[rfc] six-month stable release cycles

[DeeJay]

wrt: Windows Installers

Some minor clarification.

Firstly. Thank you to John for his efforts on providing Windows
Installers right now. No criticism of that service was intended.

" I *don't* think we need to release 1.17.1 because packaging failed. That
is why the packages are labeled 1.17-1, as the final -Z indicates the
*packaging* release number. Failures in packaging bump the packaging
release number, not the bzr release number. "

I get the numbering scheme. My scenario was one where it turned out
that a core bzr release could not be sucessfully packaged because of a
previously undetected error or deficiency in the core code that
*would* need a change to the bzr sources themselves. I simply thought
that with the evidence of how many people are now using the Windows
Installer it made sense to have a QA step early on in the life of a
potential release to prove that integration into the
Installer-building process would be trouble free. And that ADDS to the
likelihood that a something.0 release will have a 6-month lifetime.

" I'm *never* going to promise day-0 packages. Between coordinating
timezones, vacation schedules, level of development activity, bugfixing,
etc. Packaging is important, it certainly isn't the most important thing.

Heck, when we get to the point of stable-every-6-months... if you are
running code that is 6mo out of date, does it really matter if it takes
an extra day to get it to you? "

That's the opposite of what I was trying to say. I didn't ask for
Installers on the same day as the source release - although it would
be nice. I wanted to say that for the bzr team to be confident in
running code now and for the next 6 months surely thay want a degree
of confidence that the core system has been QA'd to ensure it can be
turned into an Installer. Finding a few days later that a tweak to the
core is needed to produce something.0.1 just for Installer users seems
to devalue the reputation you were aiming to build for the six-month
stable release cycle.

 David