[M3devel] Getting ready for new users (Re: HEADS UP: Release engineering)

[hendrik at topoi.pooq.com]

On Thu, May 14, 2009 at 11:51:30AM -0400, hendrik at topoi.pooq.com wrote:
> On Thu, May 14, 2009 at 08:44:56AM +0200, Olaf Wagner wrote:
> > Quoting hendrik at topoi.pooq.com:
> > 
> > >On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 01:11:33PM -0400, hendrik at topoi.pooq.com wrote:
> > >>On Sat, Apr 11, 2009 at 11:26:11AM +0200, Olaf Wagner wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>> I'd rather avoid creating a branch too early, as that means more work
> > >>> by selecting and merging fixes from trunk to branch. So here my 
> > >>questions:
> > >>>
> > >>>  o Do we all agree on a temporary code freeze?
> > >>>  o When should we start? I.e. wha changes would you like to complete
> > >>>    before we start the release process?
> > >>
> > >>One thing that's essential is to debug the documentation --
> > >>specifically, the installation instructions, the various README files,
> > >>and so forth.  A naive user. competent in the ways of computers, but not
> > >>yet in the ways of Modula 3, should be able to follow the instructions
> > >>and succeed.
> > 
> > Thank you for this description of your experience.
> 
> You're welcome.
> 
> > I'll try to address
> > at least some of the issues during the next days; not sure how far I'll
> > get.
> 
> Take your time; get it right!
> 
> > 
> > Some of the problems are still caused by the server crash, where many
> > old archives were simply lost and haven't been reconstructed until now.
> 
> Of course.
> 
> > Others are caused by two types of installation archives (legacy format
> > and Jay's new format), which are both found there. Others are simply
> > caused by out-of-date documentation, which nobody cares for much :-/
> > 
> > I think it will be best to provide a complete new set of archives, but
> > this may still take some time, and then update the documentation
> > appropriately. Progress is much slower than I hoped for (completely
> > my fault).
> 
> It will take time.  But getting this right is an essential part of 
> preparing a new release.

Is it time for me to make another try at installing cm3 from scratch?  
In particular, do you think most of the problems I reported with 
documentation and archives, etc., have been solved?  I really want to 
get m3 working on this laptop, but I also want to provide the most 
useful problem reports.

I'm definitely trying to act like a naive user in these installation 
attempts (which means I'm trying to act stupider than I am).

-- hendrik