Thread: Re: [HACKERS] Let's create a release team

Hi Dan,

It's been mentioned a few times on the Advocacy and Marketing list that
we should put together a process for ensuring that all the parts
necessary for a release occur properly and smoothly.

***********

Source code

  - Initial packaging of the new releases' source code


Docs

  - Confirm with Peter that the Docs are 100% correct in the new source
archive


RPM's & SRPM's

  - Co-ordinate with Lamar to have these ready before the general
announcement?


Press Releases for the General Public (multiple languages)

  - Advocacy and Marketing guys should put together a Press Release
intended for the General Public, and have it reviewed/confirmed by the
Hackers before getting it ready

  - Robert (?) should arrange translation of this "confirmed good" Press
Release into multiple languages


Press Release for the Technically Minded (?)

  - Advocacy and Marketing guys (?) should put together a Press Release
intended for the Hackers and other Technically Minded folk.  Should
definitely be reviewed for accuracy by the Hackers before releasing it


Websites

  - Ensure all of the required documentation mentions, links, release
info, etc is put in place on the website


Mailout

  - Email the appropriate Press Releases to the General Public, and to
the Technically Minded groups


Feedback

  - Find out what could have been done better, and figure out how to
make it so for the next one if appropriate

***********

That was just what came to mind and there's probably more.  Each part
should probably be something that can be broken down into the necessary
parts so that everyone can take care of the bits they're into.  I
suppose it would be good to have this listed somewhere so that people
can make suggestions.

Just whipped up a page listing these main points here, and everyone has
the ability to make suggestions/edits directly onto that page:

http://advocacy.postgresql.org/documents/ReleaseProcess

Hopefully that's helpful.

:-)

Regards and best wishes,

Justin Clift

--
"My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those
who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the
first group; there was less competition there."
- Indira Gandhi

On Tuesday 10 December 2002 00:24, Justin Clift wrote:
> RPM's & SRPM's

>   - Co-ordinate with Lamar to have these ready before the general
> announcement?

As I am merely a volunteer in this, the availability of RPMs is directly
impacted by my workload.  There are several times during the year that my
workload goes from being just difficult to absolutely swamping.  These times
are typically during mid February through early March; late August through
late September; and November through January.

See, not only am I the 'Chief Engineer' for several radio stations, but I am
also the 'IT Director' for WGCR, and the 'Network Administrator' for PARI.
The Chief Engineer duties include generator work, transmitter work, and
studio work -- and in winter there is alot of the generator/transmitter work
in the mix.  The 'IT Director' hat includes eradicating virus infections,
unlicensed software, etc.  This is currently my busiest area, as we try to
put our entire fundraising system on our intranet (backed by PostgreSQL, of
course).  While I say 'we,' I really should say 'I,' as I am the entirety of
the programming team in this project.  Fortunately I have access to an
interface design consultant and a good web designer.

I was able to get the RPMs out when I did almost entirely due to the ice storm
that paralyzed the Carolinas last week -- our particular area did not get hit
hard with ice, but got mostly snow, which then changed to mostly rain later
in the day.  So we didn't lose power -- and so I was able to get them done,
since I was unable to travel to work.

Typically, I would try to track the betas and release candidates (like I did
with previous releases, to varying degrees), and with the 24 hour notice we
all get on this list I can have a general release RPM ready.  During this
cycle I found myself excessively swamped by work -- so I was unable to
generate RPM's until the general release.  For that I apologize.  I cannot
guarantee that it won't happen again; but I will try to prevent its
recurrence.

For the 7.0 cycle, during the maintenance releases, I was retained by Great
Bridge to produce RPMs -- that ensured that I spent time on them for that
cycle.
--
Lamar Owen
WGCR Internet Radio
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