[Eug-lug] Re: [linux] F+!*ing Gentoo...

[Jacob Meuser]

On Sun, Jan 16, 2005 at 09:14:45PM -0800, Bob Miller wrote:
> T. Joseph CARTER wrote:
> 
> > Debian's hit the three year mark between woody and sarge.  The latter has
> > yet to be released.  The time between releases is following a trend of
> > getting significantly longer.
> 
> All software projects follow that trend.  As a project matures,
> several factors all push toward longer release cycles.

OpenBSD still does a "stable" release every six months.

>   * The user base gets larger and more diverse.  They have greater
>     constraints on scheduling upgrades as the program works itself
>     into more of their infrastructure.  They also have higher costs
>     if the new release introduces bugs, which pushes for longer and
>     more complete testing cycles.

that's the problem with trying to do stuff for other people.

>   * The code base grows.  As it grows, it becomes more fragile so that
>     changes must be made more carefully.  System-wide changes take
>     longer to implement simply because there's more code to rewrite.

it only becomes for fragile if the additions are fragile.

>   * The development group, if it's lucky, creates more process to
>     prevent destabilization.  The process slows development.  If the
>     development group doesn't create more process, you get the
>     situation where the code doesn't run at all (or even compile at
>     all) for long periods.  That REALLY slows development.

that's the problem with project management being too democratic.

>   * The development group usually grows as the program gain success.
>     In FOSS, developers find the project.  In commercial development,
>     a successful program gets a bigger budget.  In either case, more
>     people add more communication overhead and are able to break
>     things quicker but fix things more slowly.  (The Mythical Man
>     Month is the classic text on that phenomenon.)

not if people breaking stuff are properly reprimanded.

> Look at the release dates for Linux from 0.1 through 2.6.10 for an
> example.  Also look at Windows 3.0 through XP SP2.  MacOS 1.0 through
> 10.2.  Apache 1.0 through 2.0.52.  gcc 1.0 through 3.3.5.  Just about
> anything.

`cept OpenBSD.

-- 
<jakemsr at jakemsr.com>