Brian Hicks writes:
> > No, not in the upcoming Solaris 10 update release.
> >  These particular
> > eatures are not yet in Solaris Express, either.
> 
> How long does it typically take for a new feature such as this to move from 
> the twinkle in someone's eye to actually being in an official Solaris release?

It's hard to say because there are a *lot* of factors.

We use a "release train" model.  This means that if you're completely
done with all of the required testing, reviews, legal work,
documentation, and so on, then you can get on board the next train
that's leaving -- that is, the release currently being developed.

For marketing releases (Solaris Minor releases, such as Nevada), there
are usually several years between FCS dates, but there are monthly
"Solaris Express" drops.  If you integrate today, your change will be
in an SX release anywhere from around two to six weeks following, and
then eventually in that FCS product after beta and other testing.

For updates (Solaris patches, such as S10), things are more
complicated.  Each update release has its own cycle, with a couple of
early builds open to new features with sufficient justification to go
in a patch, and then many builds during which only fixes are allowed.
Before you can even get there, though, you must "soak" in the current
marketing release -- normally 4 weeks.

The update build process leads up to a set of test procedures and
finally release.  It usually takes a fairly long time for a new
feature to get through this process.  (And that's on purpose, as users
expect more out of patches than out of SX.)

Independently, the patch constructed as part of the update build
process goes through patch testing and is released.

... and, of course, all of the above (as vague as it is) depends on
how long it takes to get from "twinkle" to an actual implementation
with test support and so forth.  That part is even less predictable.

-- 
James Carlson, KISS Network                    <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sun Microsystems / 1 Network Drive         71.232W   Vox +1 781 442 2084
MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757   42.496N   Fax +1 781 442 1677
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