Re: release plane for 4.0 -- Re: GP_ISVAR, GP_FIT_ERRVARS

[Hans-Bernhard B. <br...@ph...>]

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004, Petr Mikulik wrote:

> > allow at least a couple of weeks between 3.8k.0 release and 4.0, there's
> > no point doing a 3.8k in the first place.
> >
> > important platforms.  For the 16-bit DOS/Windows and part of the Win32
> >
> > We're talking about roughly 6 weeks, here, or 1.5 months.  That's not
> > exactly very much.  The code freeze is for *us* to worry about.
> 
> Ok, thus gnuplot-3.8k is released now, including:
> - source code tarball
> - binary releases for MSW 32bit, OS/2, (and some 16bit?), will full docs
> - maybe some RPM package?

No RPMs of 3.8k.  We'll leave that to the Linux distributors who 
integrate the actual release version, if and when they decide to do so.

> We want that
> - bugs are reported
> - missing Windows et al terminal entries to be added, if contributed

"missing terminal entries"?  I don't think I see what you're talking about
there.

> Announcement should go to all principal application groups -- Octave mailing
> list, maybe slashdot and similar? (in CZ, e.g. www.root.cz)

Slashdot: no.  But freshmeat should be updated.

I'll send an announcement gnuplot's own lists (including the newsgroup).
If some of you know other places that should receive an announcement,
forward it to them once I've posted it.

> Deadline for 4.0 should be specified. I would like March 31 (5 weeks) ..
> somehow I fear April is quite late. 

You *do* seem pretty allergic to the word "April", Petr.... something 
particular about it? ;-)

> (It would be great if new gnuplot goes
> into some important Linux distro, like SuSE 9.1. -- if not, it's about
> loosing half year then!)

It feels like there's an average of at least one major Linux distro being
updated every month. No matter when we release, we'll have missed the
release freeze of half of them by half a release interval.... that's
really nothing we should worry about.

> > What with the "ask Thomas Williams about it" business and all, an official
> > release cycle of gnuplot is difficult enough that we don't need the
> > additional complexity of a 4.0.1 fix-up release four weeks later.
> 
> I see. Does he (and other people) have to agree with 4.0 and with any of its
> further releases?

Yes. Tom Williams (and some others, for individual source files) has final
say over any "official" release --- that's what the gnuplot Copyright
statement says, like it or not.

-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (br...@ph...)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.