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Date:      Mon, 24 Jun 2019 07:57:02 -0700
From:      Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@cschubert.com>
To:        freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org, Mark Johnston <markj@freebsd.org>, "Bjoern A. Zeeb" <bz@freebsd.org>
Cc:        re@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: release notes file
Message-ID:  <8FF694F5-D5FC-467E-ADBE-244C3A3254D2@cschubert.com>
In-Reply-To: <20190624003616.GA90409@raichu>
References:  <20190623191818.GA84365@raichu> <55030704-F521-4D6E-9B56-4B7F65EFFC38@FreeBSD.org> <20190624003616.GA90409@raichu>

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On June 23, 2019 5:36:16 PM PDT, Mark Johnston <markj@freebsd=2Eorg> wrote:
>On Sun, Jun 23, 2019 at 11:23:57PM +0000, Bjoern A=2E Zeeb wrote:
>> On 23 Jun 2019, at 19:18, Mark Johnston wrote:
>>=20
>> Hi,
>>=20
>> > Today we add a Relnotes tag to commits that warrant a release note=2E
>> > My impression is that it doesn't work so well: if a committer
>forgets
>> > or doesn't know to add one there's no way to amend the commit
>message
>> > (same for MFCs), and a commit message isn't a convenient place to=20
>> > write
>> > the text of a release note=2E  I would like to propose adding a=20
>> > top-level
>> > RELNOTES file instead, which like UPDATING would document notes for
>> > specific commits=2E  It would be truncated every time the head branch
>is
>> > forked, and changes to it would be MFCed=2E  This fixes the
>> > above-mentioned problems and would hopefully reduce the amount of
>time
>> > needed by re@ to compile release notes=2E
>>=20
>> Hooray=2E  Can we put that file into the doc repo, so that the ports=20
>> people, and the docs people, and all other kinds of hats can put
>things=20
>> in there as well?
>
>Virtually all of the 12=2E0 release notes are for src/ (there are 4 lines
>for ports/pkg and 1 line for docs, and the latter describes a new man
>page in src)=2E  Why is it important to have a single place for everyone
>to commit their entries?
>
>> Oh, the release notes go into the doc repo anyway=2E  Can we just put
>them=20
>> in the right place and just fill them from a skeleton where they
>should=20
>> be and naturally grow the document (feel free to use a different
>markup=20
>> language once doc is ready for that)=2E
>>=20
>> Oh, with that release notes are written automatically and you are
>still=20
>> responsible for that your stuff is in there=2E  And the release notes
>only=20
>> need an editing pass in the end?
>>=20
>> And the wiki pages like =E2=80=9CWhat=E2=80=99s cooking for 13?=E2=80=
=9D or similar could=20
>> just vanish as we=E2=80=99d have these updated at least every 10 minute=
s=20
>> automatically =2E=2E on our web server under /releases/ where they belo=
ng
>=2E=2E
>>=20
>> How amazing would that be?
>
>I would guess that many src committers simply won't add release notes
>if
>they have to commit to a second repository and use some unfamiliar
>markup format and worry about validating the file=2E  There are lots of
>__FreeBSD_version bumps that go undocumented until someone else goes in
>and fills in the missing entries=2E  A plain-text file in src repo for
>src
>release notes is low-friction and creates only marginally more work for
>RE=2E  "What's cooking for 13?" can just point to the copy of RELNOTES in
>svnweb=2E
>
>That said, I personally would try to commit my release notes to a doc
>repo file if one existed=2E  I've spent a few minutes trying to compile
>the 12=2E0 notes on my desktop and have not been able to get past,
>"cannot
>parse http://www=2EFreeBSD=2Eorg/XML/share/xml/freebsd-xhtml-release=2Exs=
l"=2E
>So, I'm probably not a good person to set up release notes for 13=2E0=2E =
 I
>will help fill in entries for commits since the 12=2E0 if someone else
>does that setup=2E
>_______________________________________________
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Src and ports should each have their own RELNOTES file=2E

The only operational concern I have is trimming the file, probably when a =
branch goes EOL=2E


--=20
Pardon the typos and autocorrect, small keyboard in use=2E
Cheers,
Cy Schubert <Cy=2ESchubert@cschubert=2Ecom>
FreeBSD UNIX: <cy@FreeBSD=2Eorg> Web: http://www=2EFreeBSD=2Eorg

	The need of the many outweighs the greed of the few=2E



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