Read this once and decided to have a think!
Response is as follows!
What I'd like to see is a decent versioning of the releases, and using Barry's "bones" and "woof", I believe we could. This is the time to set that up!
To expand the thought (I hope it's understandable):
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First Release has the path name of Puppy 6.0
Alpha releases with Major version code of 000
Alpha has minor Version codes of 01 to 49 (00 reserved)
This gives you an alpha set of 6.0.01 to 6.0.49 (surely this would be enough and normally not all would be used). Anything can happen at this stage in the build (from package reform to linux core version change). Every individual package is checked and updated by someone. A controlled set of testers used at this stage ("package or hardware specialists") to deal with the initial bugs and clashes.
Beta Releases with Major version code of 000
Beta Releases have Minor version codes of 50 to 89
This gives you a beta release testset of 6.0.50 to 6.0.89 (ditto comment to alpha). Here you should have your linux core "set" (you may even be building for three or four as q070 has), you have a "rough list" of applications up and running (maybe still a fault or two being fixed) and have a "pretty good idea" on what the release will look like. An open set of testers would be used, allowing for multiple "boxes, notebooks, and equipment. Testers must have submitted their hardware (lspci, etc) to be an "authorised tester", but this doesn't mean anyone can't download and run it. It just means that a decent range of gear is used, as it's not worth having ten dell 8000's doing the same set of tests but three or four with different attached hardware would be worthwhile.
RC releases with Major version code of 000
RC has minor version codes of 90-98
This gives you nine Release Candidate Versions, if needed. 6.0.90 to 6.0.98.
NO new packages/updates allowed, final platform bugfixes only.
(If you need more you went to RC early or have came across a bug that says you should step back to either an alpha or beta version codes and start again from there! Anyone could test and any showstoppers should have appeared before this, but.....)
The "Final Release" automatically gains the 6.0.99 code and would be known as the "Puppy 6.0 release".
Next Puppy 6.1 release version would use 6.1.01 to 6.1.99, and so on.
Remember that woof allows three digit Major version numbers, so there is no reason why we couldn't have a 6.999 release.
This could also allow others to have their own 6.xxx version of their own pups as long as they have applied and been issued with a Major version number.
It would also allow Mentoring by those that have built with those who are just starting or building a "slightly complicated pup".
That should widen our horizons, not just in the "english" speaking world, but in those many other languages that exist on our planet.
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well that's my idea anyway, we need to start to standardize our release coding. Sorry folks, but it just seems to be getting messy (as it's got in 5.1 and 5.1.1.), only the "developets" knew what was up.
what's others thoughts on fixing this problem?
regards
scsijon
ps (and the 6.0.00 code would be the initial package list for the developers to argue over.
)