[Qgis-developer] Is the new release schedule a success?

[Sandro Santilli]

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 11:14:57AM -0700, Tom Chadwin wrote:
> This post is in no way a criticism of any of the QGIS team and their
> monumental efforts or their fabulous product. However, I thought someone
> should question how successful the four-monthly release schedule is. 2.8
> immediately needed 2.8.1, and there seems to be the chance that 2.10 is
> immediately going to need 2.10.1.
> 
> Is the predestined release schedule meaning that the devs simply cannot test
> as much as they need? Alternatively, should the feature freeze be extended?

I think it's a well known fact that .0 releases are more likely to have
bugs than any other release. Many sysadmins just refuse to install those
ones :)

One big step forward has been made this year for QGIS, which is the
concept of "long term releases". Of the ones you mention (2.8 and 2.10)
only 2.8 is a long term release, and it is actually at its 2nd patch
round (2.8.2). I'm sure sysadmins are still in love with 2.8, which is
also getting more love toward a 2.8.3 which already has 115 commits pending.

The next LTR will be 2.14, planned one year after the previous LTR.
In that occasion the feature freeze period be one month longer.
Full details are here:
https://github.com/qgis/QGIS-Enhancement-Proposals/blob/master/QEP-4-QGIS_Long_Term_Releases.rst

Where do you see possible improvements could be placed ?
How could you help making them possible ?

--strk;