[Bf-committers] release status update

[Tom M]

Hi Bjornmose,

For whatever reason RC naming scheme has been used for Blender test
builds for builds that should more correctly be called tech preview
and testing builds (I have argued against the RC naming method in the
past for what it is worth..).  Yes there is still work that is yet to
be finished before a real release can be done.

1) Finishing point cache
2) UV edit mode finishing
3) Sound upgrade (optional but desireable)
4) Particle API sufficient to support existing users (ie not adding
new features but keeping old functions)
5) ffmpeg working fully for Windows and OS X (optional but desireable)

We have been doing a longer testing cycle than usual (instead of
one/two weeks and release) to allow some of the major changes to get
tested even though there are still those areas that require finishing.
 It probably hasn't been communicated as well as could be what work
remains yet before we feel it to be release ready.

My hope/goal is to have a release at least a week before the DVD
presses so that any critical bug that inevitably pops up after the
release can be fixed for the DVD.  The only way it seemed close to
feasible was to start the testing as early as possible.

Initially I thought the release would need to coincide with the
premiere, but it sounds like we will have at least a week or so after
that.

Of course it is entirely possible that the release won't be ready yet,
once the rest of the DVD is ready to ship - if that is the case, then
it will be up to Ton whether he would like to ship the prerelease
version, or delay printing whatever amount of time is needed.

>  I would not like to step back beyond that line ( what users expect to be a release ) because other ways we'd need to go through the same 'banana software cycle(ripes on the way to customer )' some famous OS did.
>  To me it makes a difference if we know we did not finish our work or giving away though we know there may be some glitches.

Entirely agree.

LetterRip