Thanks Marco, and the PSC for your discussions with LTRs and the budget
proposed for pre-release LTR package tests.
There still seems to be some ongoing discussion on the QGIS-PSC list
(e.g.
https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-psc/2021-November/009584.html)
about the scheduling but I think the main thrust of the proposal
addresses the key issues.
More testing (including some automated) and less frequent releases of
the LTR version (unless there is a specific reason) are both good things
in my book.
As a relative new-comer to the packaging and distribution process I am
still trying to get my head around the schedule and process.
I am going to aim to do some more testing myself (of installing the
Windows version of QGIS on a clean machine) to support most of my
clients, who install QGIS on Windows. This will require some investment
(e.g. a clean Windows VM I can use, possibly created through AWS
WorkSpaces) and any hints and tips people have, please do share!
(and perhaps, by making this commitment here, I will actually be more
motivated to do this!)
Best wishes,
Nick.
On 20/11/2021 07:00, Marco Bernasocchi wrote:
Dear community,
since their introduction, QGIS LTR versions have gained wide-spread
popularity [0]. LTR point releases have always followed the regular
monthly release cycle [1] creating a constant flow of point releases
that likely exceeds the update frequency that LTR users desire and
actually roll-out.
To further improve our LTR offering and ensure the reliability of our
installers, we propose to introduce pre-release LTR package tests.
These semi-automated and manual tests will be performed during a
two-week period between packaging and announcement of new packages.
The 2022 budget proposal will account for the additional costs of
pre-release LTR package tests. To stay within a reasonable budget and
allow for an appropriate number of tests, we propose to reduce the LTR
point release frequency to quarterly (four times a year) and initially
limit testing to the platform with our largest user base (Windows).
If accepted, the new quarterly schedule would start as soon as the
whole testing infrastructure is ready. This would probably be
introduced stepwise during the 3.22 lifecycle and become definitive in
the 3.28 cycle.
Together with this proposal, to quantify the userbases by operating
system, and be able to make data driven decisions in the future, the
QGIS network user agent now includes a generic string mentioning the
user’s operating system. You can read more about the change here [2].
We are looking forward to hearing what you think about these news
plans and your ideas how they may be improved.
On behalf of the PSC,
Have a great weekend
Marco
[0] https://blog.qgis.org/2020/04/02/ltr-usage-survey/
[1]
https://qgis.org/en/site/getinvolved/development/roadmap.html#release-schedule
[2] https://github.com/qgis/QGIS/pull/46090
--
Marco Bernasocchi
QGIS.org Chair
OPENGIS.ch CEO
http://berna.io
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Nick Bearman
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My working pattern is probably not the same as your working pattern, therefore
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