Re: What backend should be the default now on -nix?

[Gregory John Casamento]

MJ,

--- MJ Ray <mjr@dsl.pipex.com> wrote:

> Gregory John Casamento <greg_casamento@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > This is because normally those bugs that people are noticing in the release
> > have been fixed along with a number of others.   It's simpler to have
> someone
> > update rather than guide them through the process of patching each and
> every
> > individual problem. 
> 
> Changing one thing at a time is an essential part of bugfixing. If one
> changes too many things together, you can't tell what fixed the bug
> and it teaches little.  Each "cvs update" run risks introducing new
> problems as well as cures. If there are so many serious problems fixed
> that there are too many patches, it may be time for another release,
> or at least an RC patchfile.

Actually, I was talking from the point of view of the end user, not the
developer who is fixing the bugs.   Obviously, if I'm a developer correcting
the issues with any piece of software I would follow this method.  But from the
end user's perspective it's usually better to simply update.  So, for example,
if I tell you a bug has been fixed in my app, it's a waste of your time as a
user of my app to scrutinize every single correction I've made (unless they're
interested in learning how the system works).

I, personally, fix one bug at a time, but when I commit it's usually only after
I've been through the process of fixing several bugs.
 
> This is part of why I find the "track CVS" response so unhelpful. It's
> like telling a learner swimmer that they should go jump off a sea
> ferry. It may work for some, but most will drown.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with this.  How else would you rather it be
handled?  Should we be more detailed in our responses to users and tell them
what the nature of each bug in the previous release was and how it was fixed?  
This is actually what the ChangeLog is for, BTW.   To show what was done with a
little explanation of how it was done.

Later, GJC

=====
Gregory John Casamento 
-- CEO/President Open Logic Corp. (A Maryland Corporation)
#### Maintainer of Gorm for GNUstep.