[7u communication] Schedule and release renumbering update

[Andrew Hughes]

----- Original Message -----
> Hi,
> 
> In line with the updates for JDK 8 [0], here's a proposed update of
> plans for the next release of the JDK 7 Updates Project.
> 
> Here at Oracle we've been very busy accelerating the development and
> release of security fixes and new security features to address issues
> with Java in web browsers.
> 
> With the recent JDK 7u21 security release [1], we need to examine the
> impact on the schedule [2] for the next JDK 7 Updates release.
> 
> For past releases developed within this Project, like 7u4, our
> approach to schedule them has been to put them a few months apart from
> Oracle Java SE Critical Patch Updates [3] in order to minimize the
> number of concurrent code lines, and the related synchronization and
> administrative efforts.
> 
> Looking at the the next scheduled dates for Oracle Java SE Critical
> Patch Updates [3], the next opportunity that fits that description is
> in August.
> 
> Therefore, I would like to open the following proposal for discussion:
> 
>    * The next release of this Project will be in August
>    * Stabilization forests for that release will not be created this
>      month
> 
> Meanwhile, please continue to deliver fixes to jdk7u-dev.
> 
> In addition, as announced earlier [4], we need to adjust the version
> numbers of future releases.
> 
> In order to avoid going through the effort of renumbering releases
> again at some point in the future, which involves adjustments to bug
> database records, Mercurial repositories, and a number of other
> administrative tasks, I'd like to open the following proposal for
> discussion:
> 
>    * The next release of this Project will be called 7u40
>    * Starting with the next release, JDK 7 Update release numbers will
>      be multiples of 20, in order to leave ample room for other kinds
>      of releases should the need arise.
> 
> Both proposals are open for discussion for one week until Thursday,
> April 25th.
> 
> Regards,
> Sean.
> 
> [0]
> http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/jdk8-dev/2013-April/002336.html[0]
> [1] http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html[1]
> [2] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk7u/releases/7u14.html[2]
> [3] http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/alerts-086861.html[3]
> [4]
> http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/jdk7u-dev/2013-February/005725.html[4]
> 
> 

Can you explain why we can't just number the release as the number of the previous
release plus 1, like most other projects?

A naive person would expect 17 to be followed by 18, for example, not 21.

I was kind of expecting it, but it does mean the last feature update will be over
a year old by the time this happens.
-- 
Andrew :)

Free Java Software Engineer
Red Hat, Inc. (http://www.redhat.com)

PGP Key: 248BDC07 (https://keys.indymedia.org/)
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