[Python-Dev] Re: Bug fix releases

[Don Tuttle]

> [Don Tuttle]
> > But there is the CVS. And there are those like myself  who are CVS
> > impaired.  < list of desired features>
> >
>[Tim Peters]
> It's
> also curious that none of these have to do with bugfixes, they're all
> "shinier feature" things -- exactly what Aahz is telling us users *don't*
> want between major releases.  Good thing I don't believe anything you read
> <wink>.

Alright, I've betrayed myself as a features kind of guy, raised on "New and
Improved". But for me bug fixes count as "New and Improved".   I didn't
mention any specific bugs because I don't know where they exist.  But whever
they are, I want them fixed! (You know, typical end user behavior. ;-)

To me a truly new feature is something that either 1) breaks existing code
or 2) causes book publishers to spasm it fits of rage--"The damn book's not
even in the stores and it's already out of date!)

> [Don Tuttle]
> > I don't think it has to be as formal as an official  pep or separate
> > development track.  Just whenever our fearless dictator sees that
there's
> > enough good stuff in the CVS, let him decree that a new build
> > shall be made.
>
>[Tim Peters]
> If we could, barking a decree is easy but isn't enough to make a release
> *happen*.  I put in at least 80 hours during the week of a release, and
I'm
> only looking out for Windows (+ masses of general patches and bugfixes and
> email panics, etc).  The other PythonLabs guys aren't on vacation either.

As a Windows user I thank you.

>[Tim Peters]
> Somebody has to step up and do *work*.  But, historically, nobody
volunteers.
> If you look at Misc/HISTORY, you may be surprised to discover that the
most
> recent "pure bugfix release" was in November of 1994(!  and despite what
it
> was *called*, it snuck some new Tkinter features anyway).

Perhaps this is my ignorance of CVS, but what I had in mind was to take the
existing release source, replace offending code with update(s) from CVS,
compile, package, release. What's the offending code?  That's up to Guido.

As for who gets to compile, package, and release...well, he is your boss,
right? <wink>

Don