The Importance of Being Frozen

[Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org>]

Hi everyone,

It's time to make our freeze status uber-clear, so everyone knows where
we're at. We are:


  FEATURE FROZEN: No new features, functionality or modules can be added to
    the 2.1.x branch. Frozen as of Oct 31st, it is *extremely* unlikely that
    the release team will accept anything further - there has been a *lot*
    of time to get stuff in before now.

  API/ABI FROZEN: No API/ABI changes or additions to platform libraries may
    be made on the 2.1.x branch without permission from two members of the
    release team. Frozen as of Nov 27th.

  UI FROZEN: No user interface changes may be made on the 2.1.x branch
    without permission from two members of the release team. Frozen as of
    Dec 1st (there was a period of flexibility for getting only UI Review
    bug fixes checked in - it is *over*).


So, what is with this bluntness, in a manner you wouldn't expect from the
happy and cuddly release team? Check our calendar:


     November 2002
  Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
                 (1) 2   RELEASE: GNOME 2.1.2 Snapshot
   3  4  5  6  7  8  9
  10 11 12 13 14 15 16
  17 18 19 20 21(22)23
  24 25 26 27 28 29(30)  FREEZE: UI and API/ABI Freeze

     December 2002
  Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
   1  2  3  4  5  6  7
   8 (9)10(11)12 13 14   DUE/RELEASE: GNOME 2.1.4 Snapshot   .-------------.
 -15(16)17(18)19-20-21-  DUE/RELEASE: GNOME 2.1.5 Snapshot--/ YOU ARE HERE /
  22 23 24 25 26 27 28                                      `-------------'
  29 30(31)              FREEZE: Hard String Freeze for i18n

      January 2003
  Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
            1  2  3  4
   5 (6) 7 (8) 9 10 11   DUE/RELEASE: GNOME 2.1.90 RC1
  12 13 14 15 16 17 18
  19(20)21(22)23 24 25   DUE/RELEASE: GNOME 2.1.91 RC2
  26(27)28(29)30 31      DUE/RELEASE: GNOME 2.2.0 Final


Realistically, that's less than FIVE WEEKS to final release quality. We're
doing very well, but our focus has to be on bugfixing now, rather than UI
changes and polish or platform changes.

Thanks,

- Jeff

-- 
       "I think of the last year or two as being the biggest private        
         investment in public works in decades." - Andrew Tridgell