[8u-communication] Future release plans for JDK 8 Updates

[Andrew Hughes]

----- Original Message -----
> With 8u60 planned for release in August[1], it's a good time to start
> planning for future JDK 8 Update releases. The 8u20, 8u40
> and upcoming 8u60 releases have helped serve as the primary delivery
> mechanism for features and bug fixes aligned with this Project.
> 
> Given that most development is now focused on JDK 9, the amount of
> changes planned for JDK 8 Updates is expected to decrease. As before,
> new contributions should go to the JDK 9 Project first.
> 
> I would like to propose a plan to release a JDK 8 Update in parallel
> to the JDK 8 Critical Patch Updates. For example, 8u66 would accompany
> the 8u65 CPU release scheduled for October 2015.  It would be based on
> top of 8u65 code and would contain extra fixes that will continue to
> accumulate via the JDK 8 Updates team forests.
> 
> These future updates would continue to follow the stabilization model
> used in previous updates. Any fixes requiring integration to a release
> already in stabilization mode would follow the phase 2 process[2]. As
> always the OpenJDK maintainers[3] are available to assist contributors
> with any queries or issues they might have in getting their patches pushed.
> 
> Timelines are preliminary and more details would be discussed as the
> milestones approach.
> 
> regards,
> Sean.
> 
> [1] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk8u/releases/8u60.html
> [2] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk8u/phase2/phase2-process.html
> [3] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk8u/index.html#maintainers
> 

The security update period is already hectic. Having two releases at the
same time isn't going to help this and is likely to cause end-user
confusion if 8u65 and 8u66 are released at about the same time.

What is the advantage of this proposal? Isn't this effectively saying
that the security update without the extra fixes (e.g. 8u65) is dead on
arrival?

Thanks,
-- 
Andrew :)

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

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