Accelerating the JDK LTS release cadence

[Remi Forax]

----- Original Message -----
> From: "mark reinhold" <mark.reinhold at oracle.com>
> To: "discuss" <discuss at openjdk.java.net>
> Sent: Mardi 14 Septembre 2021 16:30:29
> Subject: Accelerating the JDK LTS release cadence

Hi Mark,

> Over on my blog today I’ve proposed shifting the JDK LTS release cadence
> from three years to two years:
> 
>  https://mreinhold.org/blog/forward-even-faster
> 
> The LTS release following JDK 17 would thus be JDK 21 (in 2023), rather
> than JDK 23 (in 2024).
> 
> This change would, if accepted, have no effect on the main-line feature
> releases developed in the JDK Project [1].  Every such release is
> intended to be stable and ready for production use, whether it’s an LTS
> release or not [2].
> 
> This change would, however, affect the update releases produced in the
> JDK Updates Project [3].  That Project would have to take on a new LTS
> release line every two years rather than three, which would be more work,
> and also decide for how long to maintain each line.
> 
> This change would also affect vendors who offer paid support for LTS
> releases, whether or not they participate in the JDK Updates Project.
> 
> Given the potential to accelerate the entire Java ecosystem, however,
> in my view the additional work would be well justified.
> 
> Comments?  Questions?

As a user, i applaud the idea of having more choices but i've some concerns:
- as a maintainer of some libraries, it will make my life more complex, because the ecosystem will not evolve in lockstep as it was before, i fear a scenario like Android were numerous LTS are used at the same time by different people making the choice when to upgrade quite complex.
- as an OpenJDK member, we now that LTS has an impact of the development of the JDK, stewards are less available before a LTS, there are more migration documentations to write etc, so for me this proposed change will slow down the OpenJDK development not accelerate it.
- some people will start to think in term of feature releases again when big features like Loom or Valhalla will land. I'm ok with a LTS without a big feature or a LTS with more than one big features but i fear that not everybody will agree on that. A 3 years is a long time, that shield us from that kind of discussions.

> 
> - Mark

regards,
Rémi

> 
> 
> [1] https://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk/
> [2] https://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/jdk-dev/2021-May/005543.html
> [3] https://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk-updates/