Re: RFC: updated workflow [WAS: Re: git+patch workflow]

[Oswald Buddenhagen <ossi kde org>]

On Sun, Jan 04, 2009 at 09:28:29PM +0100, Patrick Winnertz wrote:
> ps:  If this is okay I'll delete the stable branch and update/write a
> bit about this workflow to our wiki)
>
delete *the* stable branch, but not the concept of stable branches per
se. doing so would mean that once you merged a feature patch to master,
you cannot do a bugfix release any more until you make a feature release
(*). to keep the option of bugfix releases open (and distributors really
want that), one should always make a release branch from master (say,
4.6) and branch for bugfix patches from that branch. then one can make
a bugfix release (say, 4.6.3) from the 4.6 branch at any time. the
release branch is merged into master (but not the other way round) after
each fix. of course that requires upfront planning whether a particular
patch needs to go into a possible bugfix release, but given the patch
branch process, you have a good start for that (the proposal in your
next mail seems reasonable).

(*) actually, one can retroactively create a release branch from a
past master revision on demand. anyway, that results in a mess, as the
need for cherry picking is practically guaranteed in that case. on top
of that, the release process as such becomes a mess ("if a release
branch exists, tag there, otherwise tag on master. think of this, don't
forget that, and, oh, if you are religious: pray").