Re: [Tails-dev] Release schedule for Tails 1.2

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Author: anonym
Date:  
To: The Tails public development discussion list
Subject: Re: [Tails-dev] Release schedule for Tails 1.2
28/09/14 02:42, intrigeri wrote:
> Hi,
>
> anonym wrote (12 Sep 2014 15:18:55 GMT) :
>>   2014-09-28   Feature freeze
>>   2014-09-29   Tag 1.2-rc1 in Git
>>                Build and upload 1.2-rc1 ISO/IUKs
>>   2014-09-30   Test 1.2-rc1
>>   2014-10-01   Release 1.2-rc1

>
> I've got a few concerns with this schedule:
>
> 1. we won't have Firefox ESR31 (Mike Perry told me the TBB team should
>    have something ready based on ESR31 by the end of next week --
>    let's assume Oct. 4); given that's the one major change in this
>    release, it feels a bit weird not to have it in the RC;


Ouch... I somehow thought that the 4.x bundles already had migrated to
ESR31.

> 2. the other major change (migration to Tor Browser) isn't ready for
>    prime-time yet, and our track records wrt. fixing stuff in a rush
>    in between the RC and the final release isn't that good, be it in
>    terms of quality (in a rush, we sometimes had to merge stuff that
>    was not as good than what we would usually want to merge) or of
>    stress level for everyone involved (testers, developers,
>    reviewers);


Agreed. Right now there's only one ticket left, though. That said, there
may be some undiscovered issues...

> 3. I won't have time to bring my AppArmor work to completion in time,
>    and the next major release is scheduled for mid-February. Let's say
>    this is not a decisive factor in itself, but let's just keep it in
>    mind, OK? :)


IMHO, this may be a blocker. See below.

> So, I wonder if, maybe, it would be a good idea to postpone the RC
> a bit, say:
>
>    2014-10-05   Import the new Tor Browser 4.0-something based on
>                 Firefox ESR31; adjust what needs to be adjusted (I can
>                 commit to be available and help with testing,
>                 identifying issues, review'n'merging)


Would you be available for this on 2014-10-07 (see below)?

>    2014-10-06   Finish the above, build and upload RC ISO/IUKs


I may be wrong, but given that we won't have to build our own Iceweasel,
I think only one day will be needed for all of the image preparation.
That is unless the ESR31 bump introduces issues for us, which it very
well may.

>    2014-10-07   Test and release 1.2~rc1 (I can commit to help with
>                 the test suite and some bits of the release process,
>                 e.g. translating the changelog into the end-user
>                 announce)


I unfortunately have other plans during this time. I will be completely
unavailable starting the afternoon (CEST) on Friday, 2014-10-03, and I
should be back again some time on Monday, 2014-10-06, but I can only
guarantee availability starting the morning (CEST) of Tuesday, 2014-10-07.

> The main problem with this is that it only leaves 4 days between the
> RC is out, and the time anonym builds the final ISO. The main
> advantages are that these 4 days can be used to test the actual code
> we want to see in 1.2, and that it leaves anonym and I (and maybe Kill
> Your TV too) seven more days to complete our work.


But it will be problematic for the translators...

> Also, IIRC last time there was an ESR major version bump, the TBB team
> has been fixing things until the last minute, so I'm not that
> confident that the final ISO can actually be built on 2014-10-12 as
> planned. If that's postponed by 1-3 days, then the RC testing period
> gets a bit longer.


Right.

First of all, I'd hate it if your AppArmor work and kytv's remaining I2P
improvements wouldn't make it into 1.2, especially since that would
delay them for over four months (!) if we follow our policy strictly.
Combine that with my unavailability and that my work on the TBB
migration probably will need some more polishing, and I feel open to
delaying our release a bit. I suggest the following new release schedule:

  2014-10-07   Tag 1.2-rc1 in Git
               Build and upload 1.2-rc1 ISO/IUKs
  2014-10-08   Test and release 1.2-rc1


  2014-10-15   TBB 4.0 is hopefully officially released
               Tag 1.2 in Git
               Build and upload 1.2 ISO and IUKs
  2014-10-16   Test and release Tails 1.2


While this only delays our release two days, it gives us a week of RC
testing, bug fixing and translation work, and it reduces the risk of
painful timing issues with the TBB 4.0 release. Testing and releasing on
the same day should work (it was done for 1.1.2) if there's one (but two
would be great!) dedicated testers (excluding me) available from around
10:00 CEST on these two days.

What do you think? Who would be available for testing?

Cheers!