API freeze for GNOME 2

[Maciej Stachowiak <mjs noisehavoc org>]

The GNOME 2.0 API freeze is on. The board has asked the release team
to be more fascist about enforcing the freeze.

Therefore we would like all GNOME 2 API changes to be run by the
release team.

No API changes should happen at this point without the release team
knowing about them first.


In addition, we'd like to mention a few specific guidelines:

* Our default assumption is to reject API changes unless there is a
compelling reason for them. However, all changes will be considered on
a case by case basis.

* Changes to support accessibility may meet our criteria, since
accessibility is a GNOME 2.0 release requirement.

* Changes to support language bindings are unlikely to meet our
criteria. It sounds like most language bindings will not be able to
ship simultaneously with 2.0, so there will be time to add features
needed for language bindings after 2.0.

* While API additions may be OK if there is a pressing need, changes
to existing APIs will almost certainly be rejected. If you believe
it's necessary to change an existing API, you will need to find all
users of that API that are going to be part of the 2.0 release,
document the impact of the change, and explain why the problem cannot
be solved with a compatible change.

* As we get closer to the release date, the criteria for acceptable
API changes will become more and more stringent.


Regards,

Maciej