[Framework-Team] Re: Version Support Confusion

[Carsten Senger]

Hi Wichert,

Wichert Akkerman schrieb:
> Previously Carsten Senger wrote:

[...]

>>                                  (supposable)
>>                 Series           Release Date
>>             2.5    3.x    4.x
>> Release
>> 2.5          M      -      -      Sep 2006
>>
>> 3.0          M      M      -      Aug 2007
>>
>> 3.1          S      M      -      May 2008
>>
>> 4.0         EOL     M      M      2010 or 2011 (???)
>>
>> 4.1         EOL     S      M      undecided
> 
> This table is incorrect: you should consider all 3.x series to be a
> single 3.x release. When 3.1 was released we stopped all support for
> 3.0. When 3.2 was released we stopped support for 3.1. And when we
> release 3.3 we will stop supporting 3.2. The 3.x releases try very
> hard to maintain compatibility, so this should not be problematic.

The table meant to show the support cycle for the Series (2.5, 3.x, 
4.x).  The columns should better be title "Major version: 2.5, 3 and 4" 
instead of adding the term series.

What the table should tell is that when 4.0 is released, Plone 3 is 
still maintained with "Active Maintenance", and 2.5 has reached EOL. 
When 4.1 is released, the Plone 3 moves to "Security support" only. The 
table should not have indicated anything about the support for minor 
versions in a series, only about the consequences of a release (major + 
first minor version) for previews major version.

 From Steve's draft:
> Once a new major version is released, the old major version is
> maintained until the first minor version of the new major version is
> released. 

Here's a slightly modified Table that is maybe more clear:

"""

Change of Lifecycle with a new major and their first minor version
------------------------------------------------------------------

=======     ===    ===    ===    =============
Release     Lifecycle of the      (supposed)
              major version        release date
             -----------------
             2.5     3      4
=======     ===    ===    ===    =============

2.5          M      -      -      Sep 2006

3.0          M      M      -      Aug 2007

3.1          S      M      -      May 2008

4.0         EOL     M      M      2010 or 2011

4.1         EOL     S      M      undecided
=======     ===    ===    ===    =============

M = Active Maintenance (development, bug fixes, and refinement)
S = Active security support (security fixes)
EOL = End of Life, especially no more Security fixes

"""

Don't hesitate to improve the table.

What's not clear for me from the draft is if we promise security fixes 
for all minor versions (e.g. 3.0.x, 3.1.x, 3.2.x) of the current major 
version (The current CVE is fixed for all minor plone 3 versions). 
People tend to be very conservative. Even if we try very hard to 
maintain compatibility within the 3.x releases, I can understand that 
people hesitate to update from 3.0.6 to 3.3.x to apply a security fix.

..Carsten