[OpenAFS] Release notes vs. ChangeLog

[Derrick J Brashear]

On Fri, 14 Sep 2001, Jeff Blaine wrote:

> > The closest there is is a NEWS file in the top level of the source. A
> > volunteer to maintain such a thing would be very useful.
> 
> I can't really picture anybody who isn't knee deep in OpenAFS development
> activity maintaining such a file.

Well, there's only so much of me to go around, and I can't volunteer
anyone else.

> My reason for raising this topic (I was 99% sure such a thing didn't
> exist) is that the lack of a document like this (let's dismiss the
> NEWS file for a second since it's not been updated since July 11th and
> updating it was not an action item for the 1.2.0 release before the
> tarballs went up) ... 

Well, if you neglect the update 3 days ago, then you're right. Of course,
being the one who made that update before the 1.2.0 release, I don't
neglect it.
http://www.openafs.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/openafs/NEWS

>   - creates a OpenAFS adoption issue (I, for one, won't touch a new
>     release of anything unless I can plainly see in 5 minutes of
>     browsing a file what's been fixed, known issues, features added,
>     etc)

While this of course indicates we have a problem in not creating this
documentation, you understand that in the event bugs fixed represent
vulnerabilites in AFS this can also have an effect on you the user. So
it's doubly critical that something be done.

>   - leads to a poor historical account of progress made (f u n d i n g)

Given that at this moment there's no organization to fund, this isn't as
much an issue. If someone wants to fund OpenAFS development, currently the
best thing they can do is find an organization willing to employ such a
person, and give that organization money. 

> Perhaps my first item above leads one to say, "Well then you're not
> the kind of person who should be installing it probably".  I don't
> buy that.

Nope. It does lead to me saying "we're starved for people-time". Again, I
can only volunteer my own. We don't exactly have people beating down the
doors to work on this at the moment, which is not at all to belittle the
efforts of the contributors we do have.

Having another person in the loop on this would draw that person into the
development cycle, making them knowledgable about what's going on, the
changes that are being made and the implications of them. But first, we
need to find that person!

> I certainly understand the time constraints related to this project and
> the developers donating their time, but from my point of view, this is
> an absolutely necessary evil to be done by someone very much in the know
> (or several people) just before tarballs are made.  Well, ideally as
> each bug is fixed, feature completed for the release, etc, but yeah...
> 
> Less importantly, it also offers a chance to reflect for second and think,
> "Well, hmm, what DID we do this time?"
> 
> Just something to consider and do with as you all please.  I'm concerned,
> not trying to chastise anyone.