Release 1.0 and checklist

[Stefan Urbanek]

Hi,

There were many talks about 1.0 release of GNUstep. Many of participants
argued, that the GNUstep is not ready for the 1.0 release. Can someone
who know the internals say, what exactly is needed for the release?

Please, create a check-list here:

http://mediawiki.gnustep.org/index.php/Roadmap

After finished, we can discuss it and make a compromise about features
for 1.0 and 1.1.

Without concrete goal the project will be only wandering around. Also
the 1.0 is a magic version number, for some people it is the "i can use
it" point. Therefore it is more psychological.

Also the project needs its own versioning as a whole. This was discussed
too. What is gnustep now? base-1.1.0, gui-0.9.4? Are those libraries
compatible for sure? Should not I use base-0.9.4 instead to match the
gui version? Yes, you know what those versions mean, as you work with it
almost every day. But there are too many version numbers that can make
larger confusion.

Again, instead of saying "gnustep is not ready", fill few concrete
points into the check list. "Fix bugs", "fully follow cocoa" or "make
full implementation of OpenStep" is NOT concrete point. Not saying that
the "OpenStep" goal for GNUstep 1.0 is not relevant, as we can always
say, for example, that "GNUstep is fully OpenStep compliant from version
1.3" or "GNUstep is comliant with Cocoa in following classees: .. from
version 1.2". You get the idea.

Therefore I would suggest:
- create a very concrete checklist
- make a feature freeze
- release 1.0 candidate
- (get publicity)
- fix bugs
- release 1.0
- (get publicity again)
- start working on 1.1
- repeat

Conclusion: on one hand have long-term goal that is grand, original,
ours, perhaps achievable and call it "dream", if you like. And on the
other hand have concrete goals that can be completed in near future.

Thoughts?

Stefan Urbanek
-- 
http://stefan.agentfarms.net

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then
you win.
- Mahatma Gandhi