Re: making a release

[Ahmed Baïzid <ahmed baizid org>]

On 05/03/2017 10:12 AM, Alexandre Franke wrote:
> get a few things done before doing the release. Rough checklist:
> * actually passes distcheck
> * investigate https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=782100
> * browse the bugtracker and hunt for other reports of the same kind,
> all build/compilation issues are good candidates for this step
> * check if there are any trivial patches waiting to be pushed
> * check if there are dead dependencies that can easily be removed
> (e.g. not libgnomecanvas which is not trivial but… do we still have
> libgda code with an obsolete version?)
> * still passes distcheck

Lets us take this for a serious plan.

Point 1: Pass the distcheck stage in the build process.
1. Bug 782100 (missing xmldocs.make) passes "./autogen.sh" stage.
2. Bug 782227 (`g_type_init` is deprecated) passes "make check" stage
3. Bug 782346 (missing index.sgml) passes "make distcheck" stage.
This point has a resolution.

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Point 2 : Investigate bug 782100
This is a prerequisite of point 1.
This point has a resolution.

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Point 3: Resolve same build issues
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/buglist.cgi?component=Build&product=planner 
lists such issues.
Some have effective, clean patches.
1. Bug 703067 (rely on GNOME_COMPILE_WARNINGS macro)
2. Bug 742998 (adding `AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])' to configure.ac)
3. Bug 743091 (INCLUDES is the old name for AM_CPPFLAGS)
4. Bug 747423 (Modernize GTK-Doc)
None is essential.

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Point 4: Push trivial awaiting list
I don't think it is time for features.
The 0.14.7 release shall be a buildable release, its code name is 
'Buildable again!'. The first recipients are packagers.
I suggest integrating distribution patches concerning the build system.
1. 
https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/collab-maint/planner.git/tree/debian/patches
2. http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/rpms/planner.git/tree/
None is essential.

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Point 5: Remove dead dependencies
Not for this release. Choices have to made, you remove dependencies, you 
remove features and what seems dead can relive if it worths. I think 
some features should be removed : database support, EDS. Planner must 
stay an "easy-to-use no-nonsense project management application"  like 
the about page states.

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Point 6: Still passes distcheck
This is an all time principle. Nothing should enter a code repository if 
it breaks the build system. What happened ? Obsolescence. The world 
changed, Planner slept. The software turned unbuildable. For now on, 
this should never happen again.