Re: Patching on stable?

[Ben Abbott]

On Mar 17, 2012, at 3:46 PM, Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso wrote:

> While I'm trying to get the rules clear, I would also like some
> clarification on what is appropriate for the stable branch, because
> I'm never sure.
> 
> The following is obviously appropriate:
> 
>  * Regressions since past stable releases
>  * Critical bugs (but is a crash always crtical?)
> 
> The following is less clear:
> 
>  * Documentation fixes
>  * Minor bugs (accuracy, incorrect results)
> 
> The follow is never good for the stable branch:
> 
>   * Breaking ABI compatibility
>   * Adding new functionality
>   * Deprecating or removing functions.
> 
> Could we have a clear document somewhere that addresses all these? I'm
> always trying to guess when is patching on stable acceptable or not.
> My current heuristic is, if I'm not certain it's a regression or a
> critical bug, I don't patch on stable without asking first. Is that
> how it should stay?
> 
> - Jordi G. H.

Looks good to me. For the "less clear" I think we should avoid these as well.

Of course, specific examples can be discussed on the list.

Ben