LinuxMCE Forums

General => Installation issues => Topic started by: rocketlynx on October 24, 2009, 06:32:46 pm

Title: Interim Alpha2 Release instead of Next Scheduled Release?
Post by: rocketlynx on October 24, 2009, 06:32:46 pm
i am told that all of the startup script issues have been fixed in svn and will be in the next beta release.

Possy fixed the scripts and they are now part of the internet-only installation. There is still a small bug with the photo screen saver, but everything else seems to work REALLY well! I wiped my core again and used the download installer then unchecked the photo screensaver from the media director software edit screen, used the nvidia-glx-190 drivers, and an xorg.conf that includes the busid of my video card; now mostly everything is peachy.

Thanks Possy!

First of all, I'm not picking on the above author's quote I'm just using it as an example.  I've been using LinuxMCE since January of this year.  The question I have because I don't really know how the routine "commited the fix to SVN" or "Will be in the next release" really works, when there is a real confusing/crippling error introduced into an already correctly running module with a scheduled alpha2 release, can an interim release such as, Alpha2.36.1 be released to fix the one or two majors problems introduced by it's predecessor?

To be a little more clear, I see many new LinuxMCE users stumbling with simple problems that seasoned LinuxMCE veterans understand work-arounds, and can live with the issue until the next scheduled Alpha2 release, but the newer users fight with them on each Core reboot or new installation hickups, on a regular basis.  Examples: the Core's double Orbiter launch, and now, other launch script errors.

On these problems, it seemed that there was a recognition and fix at some point in time but had to wait until the next scheduled release maybe one, two or three weeks later.  This discourages many new users from continuing their pursuit of involvment with LinuxMCE and I believe the more people we can keep encourged and joining the ranks as continued users can help to provide more contributions to better the system for the long haul.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint, and I'm not meaning to release many small snafus or hickups all of the time, I completely understand "Open Source Software" and that LinuxMCE is a "Constantly evolving feature-rich program", I'm only referring to the most annoying or serious of them such as the previously mentioned "Orbiter will be closed" message and the "installation script problems", these are the ones that really put a damper on the shining light features of LinuxMCE.

In Summation:  Can a serious problem introduced in a release that is a real necessary core function , that worked correctly previous to this release, and is detrimental to "booting" the Core Computer correctly or for the basic installation of the basic core functions, be released in a (for example:) Alpha2.36.1 or in the next scheduled release, bumping the others one more release down?

Don't Slam me for this, I only want an answer and to understand the process for what determines the critical from the non-critical releases.

Best Regards,
A Happy LinuxMCE User,
Charles Triola (rocketlynx)
Title: Re: Interim Alpha2 Release instead of Next Scheduled Release?
Post by: merkur2k on October 24, 2009, 06:47:26 pm
yeah, I know that many of us use these releases on our production systems and it is really the only release we have currently, but you need to remember it is also still in alpha/beta status.
hopefully once things are stable, releases will be fully tested before they are given out, but for now we are the testers and things will be broken.
"fixed in svn" just means that the code has been fixed and applied to the source code repository, so that the next build that is run will make a fixed release (hopefully). In this particular case it really just has to do with the installation, so there should be no impact to an already running system.