[ On Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 11:20:30 (+0300), Martti Kuparinen wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: system updates
>
> But if one wants to have the offical release + all security fixes
> without "untested" features from the "stable" (e.g. netbsd-1-5) branch?
> Ever followed FreeBSD -STABLE and saw things break on production
> systems? I have and I don't want to see that again. The FreeBSD's RELENG_4_3
> branch is just what I needed.
> 
> What I'd like to see in NetBSD is something like this:
> 
> ==+================= current
>   |
>   +======+===== netbsd-1-5
>     ^    |
>     |    +===== netbsd-1-5-2
>     |     ^
>     |     |
>     |     netbsd-1-5-PATCH002
>     |
>     netbsd-1-5-PATCH001
> 
> So every release (e.g. the forthcoming 1.5.2) will be a BRANCH, not
> a normal tag, and this branch would include all the security fixes.
> Syncing againts this tag would get only the security fixes, nothing more.

That would be a *LOT* of extra work!  Who would do it?  You really
really do not want to introduce unnecessary branches in CVS, especially
not on entire modules as large as a whole multi-platform operating
system!  ;-)

I think the NetBSD scheme of branching is more or less sufficient.  As
others have already said, the stability of NetBSD branches is much
higher than that of any FreeBSD -STABLE branch, and indeed the concept
is much more along the lines of the FreeBSD RELENG_* branches.

That said I have seen reports of errors cropping up on the NetBSD
release branches.  The solution though isn't more branching -- it's just
more patience on the part of the most paranoid of users.  What they need
to do is:

	$ cd /work/netbsd-1.5-branch
	$ cvs update
	$ sleep 172800
	$ make dependall	# if it breaks, go to step #1 again
	$ sleep 172800
	$ make install

While sleeping, in both phases, keep a very close eye on the various
NetBSD lists for any reports by less paranoid users about any issues
that might have cropped up.  :-)

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

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