Message-Id: <m0tL65N-0000miC@mamba.ast.cam.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 95 10:19 GMT
From: drtr@ast.cam.ac.uk (David Robinson)
To: new-httpd@hyperreal.com
Subject: Re: fairy nuff
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>If someone will back me on this, I'll start to move 1.0 stuff
>online. I don't want to do this if there's no support for it.
>
>What you can do to stop me is (all of you not back me or) someone
>produces a list of things to do, and a definite timetable to do them.
>(with an offer to help do them of course - don't volunteer someone
>else to do the work, that's not good enough).
>
>Here's the plan.. If I get backing and no alternative timetables, I'll
>start moving stuff into place on Thursday. If someone else want to
>help or do it all, I've no objections to that.
>
>So, if you want to see some movement, say something now. 1.0 will
>go online tomorrow if I see support for this and no better alternative.

Ok.
What's the problem that is holding us up?
The system binaries are a complete shambles. We should give up on them:

* I see no reason why a binary release should be so important as to
  delay a 1.0 source release.
* There is _no_ way for a user to tell which modules a binary contains.
  IMO, for this reason at least we should not distribute binaries.
* As yet, we do not even have a concencus on which modules to include.
  It will take a week of petty argument to reach such an agreement.

So here is the Cambridge-Los Alamos twin track peace^H^H^H^H^Hrelease process:

1. Release of a 1.0.0 source distribution to go ahead now.
2. Discussion of a binary release to proceed separately, with agreement on
   binary distribution to be achieved by 1.1 at the latest.

Thus I amend Rob's timetable as follows:
1. Everyone stop building binaries now.
2. We build a final source distribution (including manual) by tomorrow.
   (Preferably by end of today.)
3. We allow three working days for the distribution to be propogated to
   mirror and archive (NCSA, sunsite) sites, and for the online documentation
   to be finalised.
4. We announce the new release.

We shall do it my way, unless someone else can convince me their way is better.

 David.