[GRASS-dev] GRASS CVS to SVN migration: repository structure

[Paul Kelly]

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007, Markus Neteler wrote:

> Glynn Clements wrote:
>>
>> Ideally the 6.3-release branch would be a branch from 6.x-devel, as
>> that's how it's structured in CVS. But that may not be possible given
>> that it existed prior to the migration to SVN.
>
> I wonder if we should sort of re-do the 6.3-release branch. I am not
> aware of incompatible changes within HEAD yet. Maybe it is better
> to branch off again (say, to bulk merge from HEAD/trunk into the
> existing branch) to catch recent fixes for 6.3.0.

If such a bulk merge from the HEAD to the (as it currently is) 6.3 release 
branch could be done, I think that would be a good plan and the 
6.3-release branch could be renamed to e.g. 6.x-devel and development go 
on there---then the 7.x big changes could start on the HEAD.

Or the 6.3-release branch could be dumped (see below) and 6.x-devel 
branched off the HEAD, leaving it free to be in effect "7.x-devel".

My main concern/doubt is that I don't see why 6.3 needs to have a release 
branch at all at this stage. I thought release branches were only for 
stable releases where the functionality needs to be frozen. As 6.3.0 is 
going to be a development (not stable) release, it makes sense to me for 
it to be a direct snapshot off the development branch or HEAD - similar to 
the way the 5.0.0pre releases were done in the dim and distant past. If we 
decide that 6.3.1 is going to be a stable release, or we call it 6.4.0, or 
whenever, *that* is when we should be creating a release branch, IMHO.

Paul