[Project-managers] Update for PMs

[Ted Ralphs]

Hi all,

This e-mail is to update you on the status of our efforts to produce
stable versions and releases, as well as some other news items.

First, we have managed to get stable versions and releases for many of
the projects already. Thanks to those who have contributed to this
effort. For those whose projects have not yet been converted to the new
repository structure and who have not contacted us to let us know your
plans, please e-mail Andreas Waechter (andreasw at watson.ibm.com) as soon
as you can, so we can keep things on track. We would like to have the
whole process completed within the next two weeks.

Second, we have now put up a Wiki page describing in more detail the
procedures we would like everyone to follow with respect to repository
structure and the production and maintenance of new versions and releases.

https://projects.coin-or.org/BuildTools/wiki/pm-svn-releases

Please take a look at this page and let us know if you have questions
regarding the procedures. For those of you who are doing your own
conversion, let us know if there is anything that is unclear as you go
along.

Some tips to keep in mind:

1. Once you have created your first stable version and release, you
should be sure to update the download instructions on your Wiki page
(and anywhere else they appear), so that users will begin to use only
the stable versions and releases. This should make maintenance and bug
fixes a lot easier. Although they are not in place yet, we will soon be
deploying automated scripts that will create tarballs from
subdirectories in your 'releases/' directory. You may want to start
directing "casual users" to download these tarballs, rather than using SVN.

2. If your project depends on other COIN projects (i.e., you have an
Externals file in your project root), then you should change your
externals to point to the stable releases of other projects, once these
have been created. This will allow you to create point releases
containing fixed versions of *all* the source code required to build
your project and will make bug tracking and reporting easier. It will
also allow us to create binaries from these point releases.

3. Once you are sure that your users, as well as users of other projects
that may depend on yours, are no longer pointing to your 'trunk/', you
can begin to merge changes from your development branch (if you have
one) into 'trunk/', after which that will become your main development
line. There isn't any rush on this---you may safely continue development
in your development branch until you feel confident to merge the changes
into 'trunk/'.

4. Please keep in mind that there is a very nice Wiki page with general
information about the COIN build system here:

https://projects.coin-or.org/BuildTools/

As you are updating your download and build instructions, please try to
avoid duplicating information that appears on the BuildTools page. We
would appreciate it if you would instead provide your users with a link
to the BuildTools page, since this will make it easier for us to
disseminate information about bug fixes and changes to common features
without having to appeal separately to the users of each project.

Thanks again for bearing with us and let us know if you have any
additional questions.

Cheers,

Ted Ralphs
TLC Chair
Associate Professor
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Lehigh University
(610)758-4784
tkralphs at lehigh.edu
www.lehigh.edu/~tkr2