suggestion to developers: please release beta-6

[Kevin Clark]

A good proportion of the bugs at the moment tend to be related to prosilver in the CVS though.

[The Grinch]

A good proportion of the bugs at the moment tend to be related to prosilver in the CVS though.

Yep. A large chunk of them are. They were originally not planning to release prosilver until the final release. So one must stop and ask themselves if it should hold up an RC release, never mind a new beta.

We've been waiting so long for RC1 to come out, it's not going to kill us if their's a beta6. But I would much rather have a fully supported release to launch into production.

[Handyman]

After reading much of this thread, I see several good points and also some points that aren't well thought out.
First, a new Beta would not be a bad idea to help with bug reporting.
an instance of this is AdiumX, which released a new beta about every week to 2 weeks… 23 betas total… to help with bug reporting.
Then they had 2 RC's… both in the same week and 1.0.0 was released.
So I think a new beta would probably be a good idea.

#2, If a fully supported version were to be released at this point, can you imagine the amount of code users will have to do themselves every time a new RC or version is created?
You see every time a new phpBB2 was created, there were some code changes that needed to happen… with as many changes as are going on atm, that would be extremely difficult for users to keep up with and therefore, it's better off remaining beta until all those major changes have happened.

If you don't believe me on that one, subscribe to the CVS checkins list and you will be enlightened.
Then tell me if you would like to keep up with that on a daily basis to keep up-to-date. (though some of us do that, but we can't ask for support by phpBB, so that's up to you to decide… and it's perfectly cool with me )

[Kevin Clark]

Why would you necessarily need to keep up with the CVS?

Surely the RC works similarly to the betas.
RC1 comes out, bugs reported, bugs fixed and when they feel a suitable point is reached they'll release RC2 with the upgrade scripts (just like beta3>4>5). The point of RC1 is that it's stable to run live on its own until RC2 comes out and that there are not likely to be any major changes but if there are, they are covered by updaters. You don't need to fiddle with it every day. If you go for RC1 you have to accept you might get the odd little niggle or a graphic glitch here and there and put up with it until the next update but it should not be anything major.

[code reader]

can you imagine the amount of code users will have to do themselves every time a new RC or version is created?
You see every time a new phpBB2 was created, there were some code changes that needed to happen… with as many changes as are going on atm, that would be extremely difficult for users to keep up with and therefore, it's better off remaining beta until all those major changes have happened.

actually, the new "update" mechanism should be able to automate that, so i don't think this is a serious consideration.
(and, btw, the code updater is one of the least tested pieces of olympus... another reason for one more beta).

imo, the main reason RC would not be a good idea at this point in time is that i share the developers' view that the code is not quite ready for it.
the point we (that is, myself and the developers) disagree on is the question of what should be done about it. they seem to favor waiting and collecting bug reports from the few who use the "bleeding edge" version, while my view is that it would be better to release a new beta and thus increase the number and diversity of bug reports submitted.


of course, this only makes sense if there are enough cpu cycles to tackle all those presumed reports reasonably fast. maybe the reason they don't release a new beta is because none of them can afford to dedicate as much time as will be required to the project at the moment (the slow response to bug reports seem to support this hypothesis), and they are waiting until they'll be more free to push the project. who knows?

[lodp]

the main reason RC would not be a good idea at this point in time is that i share the developers' view that the code is not quite ready for it.

did any of them explicitly (or implicitely for that matter) express that view?

[Nicholas the Italian]

the main reason RC would not be a good idea at this point in time is that i share the developers' view that the code is not quite ready for it.

did any of them explicitly (or implicitely for that matter) express that view?

I suppose that what code reader meant, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that if developers thought the program was ready they would already have released it (RC at least).

[ac_roma]

now 81 bug

i think rc every day be near and far

i think beta 6 is so big becouse bugs is less & i dont think many bugs we will find in beta 6 so i prefear wait

i think if developers set on internet 5 hours per day we will see rc soon

but all one have his life and his work

thats the main point

i dnot see all developers work in the bugs

what about prosilver iam not see him

at last we have waiting only

[rivaldo]

everyone is entitled to an opinion; that's what makes a discussion a discussion

...and sometimes, that's what makes it stupid too, unfortunately.

[Jhong]

I see nothng stupid in starting this discussion.. the original point is well-made and sensible. Unlike the "they'll do what they want to do" non-responses.