Here is a suggestion for how to release SDB as an Apache release.
tl;dr: Put up RC-1, one month for user feedback, then do formal release.
1/ Cut an 1.3.5-RC-1, old style zip distribution.
This whatever is the state of the SNAPSHOT but with the RC-1 designator.
Depends on the last Jena release - jena-core-2.7.3, jena-arq-2.9.3.
The POM with "RC-1" does not go into svn.
2/ Put the distribution files up somewhere e.g.
http://people.apache.org/builds/
which means it is not an official Apache release. It just a place to
put stuff for people; not used much these days
Alt. http://people.apache.org/~user/
RC-1 is not specifically in the maven snapshot repositories - the
evolving SNAPSHOT is.
3/ Ask users@ to test it or the SNAPSHOT in maven.
If some DB does not get tested, don't remove it; but if then problems
arise after release, then fix if we can but not automatically cut
another release. This is a proper RC cycle!
4/ Wait a month or so to see what testing occurs.
If there are no negative reports, do a formal release.
If any problems arise, fix, cut RC-(N+1) and cycle around again.
5/ As a general policy, if any new databases are offered, include in the
codebase if the code inclusion does not affect other DB adapter code or
the core code.
6/ The formal release would be an old-style distribution zip/tar.gz and
a maven release repository upload.
Andy
