CODE FREEZE COMING!

[Jim Gettys]

NOW READ THIS!

This is the "home stretch" for our stable build for first deployment.  

ZEROTH: THANK YOU for all your hard work and contributions to date!!!!
Barring unforeseen events, we are now one week from mass production.

FIRST: there will be a release after this within a reasonably short
period of time, and another after that, and so on, as we have with
Trials 1-3.  If what you are working on isn't ready, do remember this
and make realistic assessments as to whether your software is really
able to make the following dates.  Remember that in the *first* week of
production there will be more systems built than all systems built to
date: are you REALLY prepared to handle the resulting bug reports and
questions? 

SECOND: A fundamental difference with this release and (some of) the
previous builds is that it must line up with shipment of actual
hardware: the train has started moving and we must be on board in time
for G1G1 and country deployments. We MUST have the build in hand as
these systems go into the distribution channels.  These channels take
time.

THIRD: terminology: as many of you know, we have a build sequence called
"joyride" we've been using for rapid testing.  We will be instituting
another build sequence under tight change control called "killjoy"; your
software MUST be tested in "joyride" before it is moved to "killjoy".
"Killjoy" will be under tight change control.

FOURTH:  We must collect source packages for all software; we need to
ensure our software can be built reproducibly both for legal reasons and
the need to be able to deal with security and support problems in a
timely fashion. You will find we will become increasingly insistent that
source packages are available.  Mako Hill will be inventorying our
packages and ensure we have everything.

During this week, October 26 through November 1:

        You should be substantially complete with your development at
        this date (October 26).
        
        If you are not:
        
        You MUST notify the community of any significant code you expect
        will change in the next week.
        
        To do this, you MUST create a ticket, tagged "killjoy?" in the
        keywords field. You MUST briefly justify your recommendation.
        You MUST include the date you expect your change will be
        available for testing in the "joyride" build.  This date MUST be
        before November 2.
        
        You SHOULD tag other people's bugs that you think should be
        included in killjoy.  But remember that there is a finite amount
        of time and resources available as you make these
        recommendations, and state your reasoning why you think these
        fixes must be made by our first deployment release.
        
        Each day, the triage team MUST report its work by a process
        described at http://wiki.laptop.lorg/go/Killjoy_process.
        
Next week, November 2 and after: Stabilization and change control:

        We spend the time we have fixing bugs that impair platform
        stability.
        
        Changes MUST be approved by the process described at
        http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Killjoy_process.
        
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? 
                            Best Regards, and thanks again,
				- Jim Gettys
        
P.S. We aren't kidding about the request for suggestions....
        

	

-- 
Jim Gettys
One Laptop Per Child