[Bacula-users] Bacula Status report

Hello,

This is a sort of mini-Bacula status report on the following:

1. Next release

2. New release cycle

3. New bugs tracking database

4. New Bacula server (www.bacula.org)

5. New Bacula source distribution server

1. Next release:
Before the end of August, we will be releasing the next version of Bacula -- 
version 5.0.3 which is a bug fix update to 5.0.2.  This release is almost 
ready and the most recent code is in the SF bacula git repository under 
Branch-5.0

2. New release cycle:
The little code we currently have for the next major release is in the SF 
bacula git repository under Branch-5.1.

We are considering to moving to a regular 6 month release cycle. The advantage 
of such a cycle is that it gets features out to you faster.  The disadvantage 
is that it doesn't work so well in small projects like Bacula if there are 
not sufficient contributions.

Such a release would consist of the following points:

- A release every 6 months
- The deadline is not absolute and could be extended to 9 months if there were
  insufficient new submissions.
- There will be far fewer or no bug fix updates as they are not really needed
  if we can maintain a 6 month cycle.
- Two months before the projected release we will decide if there are
  sufficient new features to release
- The release count down will consist of 3 phases
     1.  We will add all new approved features
          The first 4 months after a release this phase will go into
          effect for the next release
   - 2. Only very small new features (a few lines) will be added
          Two months before the final release this phase will go into
          effect.  Note, this phase can be delayed 3 months if insufficient
          new features are submitted
     3. Only bug fixes
         This phase will go into effect one month before the release

Under this scheme, we are currently in Phase 3 for the 5.0.3 release, and the 
next major release (5.2.0) would be made before mid-January 2011, and is 
currently under development in Branch-5.1 on Source Forge.

I would appreciate comments on this proposed new "deadline" release cycle.

3. New bugs tracking database
Sometime in early August (possibly slightly before) we will be moving the 
current Mantis based bug tracking system to a new RT based system hosted by 
Bacula Systems.  The upside is that the RT system is far more powerful, 
flexible and adaptible, and most important of all, it allows email responses 
to bugs.  The downside is that it is a bit more complicated (as are most 
things that have more features) and that it will require everyone to 
re-register for the new system.  In addition, if you don't want to rely on 
just the community to furnish bug fixes, you will be able to subscribe to a 
bug fix service that is more professional and has a guaranteed response time 
(not to be mistaken for a guaranteed fix time).  More on this when the 
service is ready for production.

4. New Bacula server
The current Bacula Community server is as you probably know generously offered 
by UKFast.  However, the hardware is starting to age, so they have gratiously 
provided us with a new machine that we will be putting in place in the next 
few weeks.  We don't expect that you will notice any differences, but the 
hardware running www.bacula.org should be more stable.

5. New Bacula source distribution server
You may or may not be aware that we have not always been pleased with the 
services offered by Source Forge.  The uploading is complicated by lines 
dropping (I have *never* seen this else where), their user interface is 
horrible, we don't get good statistics, being US based, they block direct 
access to our code from a number of countries such as Cuba, ...  So, probably 
in September or October we will be moving our Bacula project off of Source 
Forge to a new server provided by UKFast.  There is still a *lot* of work to 
be done to make this work -- principally getting up a good and suitable 
interface for users -- more as this develops.

As mentioned above, I would appreciate any comments you might have, 
particularly on the proposed new release cycle.

Best regards,

Kern

  

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