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FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

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FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby FL2070 » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:09 pm

Okay, so I know that an even number is a full release, e.g. 3.0, 3.2, 3.4, and the odd numbers are development versions, e.g. 3.5, but I see some people claiming to run 3.7, which is the development version of 3.8, right?

Yet if 3.8 is being developed, doesn't that mean 3.6 is supposed to be complete? I think so, but strangely (!!), the main page informs me that the latest version available is 3.4...

So, I have three questions:
* if a new version is being developed (3.7/3.8 ), doesn't that mean the version before it (3.6) should already be out?
* if the above is true, why isn't 3.6 out?
* is 3.7 actually being developed?
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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby AndersG » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:14 pm

3.6 has been branched from the development version so the development can go on. However, the final steps to make the release of 3.6 has not happened yet.

Meanwhile, development goes on, as can be seen here:
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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby Lydiot » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:16 pm

I don't get it.

Why would a version be branched yet not released? Doesn't that invite a lag in releases?
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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby bugman » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:22 pm

The steps required to release a software product are usually quite intense and take a -lot- of time. There were also Northern hemisphere holiday related delays. The release process is ongoing, but patience is required ;)

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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby AndersG » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:51 pm

Lydiot wrote in Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:16 pm:Why would a version be branched yet not released? Doesn't that invite a lag in releases?


Because creating a release requires that certain people do certain things and that the last show-stopper bugs (e.g. is the Mac build ok now? The Windows build?) have been solved. All by a small number of people (some quite non-interchangeable due to limited access to certain resources) working on their spare time.

Branching at a well defined point in time (after a month-long feature freeze) allows the state to first stabilize somewhat and then after the branch the rest of the bunch are free to start working on their stuff again, towards the next release. You can read about the release process on the Wiki.
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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby Lydiot » Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:33 pm

So if I understand correctly what you're saying is that "everyone" is working on the same version, and once a certain point is reached it is branched. Then some of the people can move on because they're no longer essential to the branch which will be released sooner, and the remaining people will finish it?

I'm not criticizing anyone or complaining that it's later or anything, just trying to understand the process.
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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby bugman » Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:50 pm

Lydiot wrote in Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:33 pm:So if I understand correctly what you're saying is that "everyone" is working on the same version, and once a certain point is reached it is branched. Then some of the people can move on because they're no longer essential to the branch which will be released sooner, and the remaining people will finish it?

I'm not criticizing anyone or complaining that it's later or anything, just trying to understand the process.


This is the standard development practice in most projects. Before a release the developers are told to hit the breaks on any features they plan, and that they should concentrate purely on fixing bugs and preparing the software for release to users. Once this freeze period is over, the release is tagged. Then the gates are opened and the developers are let out free into the wild ;) All of the features they had been sitting on during the freeze can then flow into the project, without affecting the tagged and isolated release code. As the majority of developers run free, one or two poor buggers have the hard job of preparing the release and taking the final steps, building the binaries and distribution files, testing them, uploading them, updating a tonne of infrastructure for the new version number, preparing press releases, etc.

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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby Lydiot » Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:59 pm

Thanks for the edumacation! Much appreciated.
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Re: FlightGear 3.4/5/6/7 - please help me understand

Postby FL2070 » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:25 am

I think I understand now. Thanks!
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