Neil P Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 I agree there. I'm running the beta of 1.7 but I'm not brave enough to run the daily builds. Nor do I suggest anyone do. It's a beta after all. However 1.6 is considered stable and 1.7 must be close as Netscape 7.2 will use 1.7 as the code base. So once 7.2 is out it will be the current most stable version until 1.8 hits.... I run nightly builds of Firefox I compile them myself. And with the trunk being open for 1.8a checkins, let me say that quite a few things are broken. But thats the price you pay for cutting edge 1.7 Release Candidate Builds should be coming very soon (as in VERY SOON--The 1.7 RC1 directory is already created, just waiting for files to be uploaded to it ). These RC builds (should be two of them, about two weeks apart) will be beat on until most of the bugs are fixed, then 1.7 Final can come out. There should be a significant amount of stability improvement over 1.7Beta, as its been over a month since Beta came out.1.7 will be the new stable branch (currently 1.4), so I expect it to be VERY stable, especially after a 1.7.1 release and onward. Not only is "Netscape" 7.2 going to be based off of it, but a Firefox 1.0 Branch and a Camino 0.8 Branch will also be coming from it, so it should get a lot of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlinecomputers Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Steeler,Question. I don't follow this close enough. Why are they starting a new branch at 1.7? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil P Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Steeler,Question. I don't follow this close enough. Why are they starting a new branch at 1.7?Well when it gets closer to release time, a new branch is always created. This way, all of the new features that cause instability will stay on the trunk, to be worked out later. This way any bugs in the current set of features can be worked out, without worrying about new changes that can cause problems.This 1.7 Branch in particular is special, as it has been designated as the new stable branch. The current stable branch is 1.4, and before that it was 1.0. These branches are used mostly by businesses/universities/anyone that wants to use Mozilla on large scale; they remain maintained. Point releases are issued, with new fixes and the like (1.4.2 should come out sometime, 1.4.1 is the current rock-solid stable build) instead of the branch being cut for the release, and then dropped afterwards (1.5 is an example of this).Basically, once the 1.7 Branch was "cut", a copy of the source code was made and moved aside. This is the 1.7 Branch. The ONLY things checked into this branch are bugfixes. Once 1.7 is released, Firefox and Camino will make their own branches off of the 1.7 branch, to ensure even further stability. Firefox won't return to the trunk until sometime after the 1.0 release (0.9 will be feature complete, 1.0 is going to be ultra-stable).In this way, development AND bug fixing can go on at the same time. Usually (but not always), checkins that go on the branch will make their way to the trunk, but not the other way around: trunk checkins rarely go to a branch.Also, branches are sometimes created when a risky or large new feature is being worked on, for instance, there is an SVG branch.Hope some of that helps, I am looking for a link that will explain it better.[edit]http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=3142, point #7 explains this a little better[/edit] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlinecomputers Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Ok I followed that. My question is why is 1.7 and 1.4 and 1.0 are given special treatment. Is there some threshold of stablity that was reached or is more a question of time? I also note that those branches also match the Netscape builds so is it a case of when some one in AOL decides to make a new build of Netscape a snapshot is made and the branch is frozen and maintained so that bug fixes for Netscape are potentially availible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlinecomputers Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Oh speak of the devil Mozilla 1.7 RC1 is out.!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil P Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Ok I followed that. My question is why is 1.7 and 1.4 and 1.0 are given special treatment. Is there some threshold of stablity that was reached or is more a question of time? I also note that those branches also match the Netscape builds so is it a case of when some one in AOL decides to make a new build of Netscape a snapshot is made and the branch is frozen and maintained so that bug fixes for Netscape are potentially availible?Nathan, that is a good observation, and it very well may have been true before. But that is not the case anymore, I think now it is just that 1.4 was released in June of last year, and development has now far surpassed it (its the idea of trunk and branch again; the new changes that hit the trunk have been held off the 1.4 branch, but are now in the 1.7 branch).Asa Dotzler made a newsgroup post describing the decision to make it the stable branch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeTee Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Hey Niel, I've been following this thread closely....Thanks for all the good info!! I've been wanting to get Mozilla insalled on all the machines in my office, and was wondering about when would be a good time to press. Now I know. can't wait till 1.7 final is out!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlinecomputers Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 It's been just about a year since we cut the 1.4 branch. In addition to the normal Mozilla application suite milestone release, Firefox and Thunderbird will be doing releases off of this branch -- including Firefox 1.0 (!) and there are also major vendors planning releases to coincide with with Mozilla 1.7. All of this lines up well for making 1.7 our next long-lived branch.Sounds like it IS the reason for the making of a long-lived branch from this quote. Which makes sense if major vendors, AOL/Netscape, included are planning on using your source branch it best to put the high gloss polish on. This branch will have 3 RCs not the usual two to allow for more bug reporting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil P Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Hey Niel, I've been following this thread closely....Thanks for all the good info!! I've been wanting to get Mozilla insalled on all the machines in my office, and was wondering about when would be a good time to press. Now I know. can't wait till 1.7 final is out!! Hi beeTee,If you are wondering when 1.7 is scheduled, it should be around May 21, according to the Release Status Page. It will probably be after that date, but it is usually for the better. More time to fix bugs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil P Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 It's been just about a year since we cut the 1.4 branch. In addition to the normal Mozilla application suite milestone release, Firefox and Thunderbird will be doing releases off of this branch -- including Firefox 1.0 (!) and there are also major vendors planning releases to coincide with with Mozilla 1.7. All of this lines up well for making 1.7 our next long-lived branch.Sounds like it IS the reason for the making of a long-lived branch from this quote. Which makes sense if major vendors, AOL/Netscape, included are planning on using your source branch it best to put the high gloss polish on. This branch will have 3 RCs not the usual two to allow for more bug reporting.Well yes Nathan, I suppose that is the case. But I was saying it wasn't specifically for AOL/Netscape, but they obviously would want to wait for a stable release, which the Mozilla Foundation is happy to provide (I'm sure there are other places that might want to use this internally even) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 An excellent thread guys. Thanks for all the info. 'specially good to see nlinecomputers warming up to Netscape. Let me throw my own monkey wrench in here. I question the statistics also that 96% use IE. I use AdMuncher and I can specify what I want my browser identified as.Excellent point zlim. While I'm sure it will drop the actual number of true IE users I think IE will still be in the 90% range.Stick to your guns EdP. Thanks JoS. Now if I just get steelers fan to warm up to the Bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlinecomputers Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Ed,I not opposed to Netscape. Netscape IS Mozilla. So when a new Netscape comes out it is just as good as Mozilla is. I am opposed to your opinion that somehow Mozilla is inferior to Netscape. In my opinion they are equal, if you compare the same builds. Netscape 7.1 is just as good as Mozilla 1.4. But IMHO Mozilla 1.6 is much better then both of those. So why use Moz1.4 or NS7.1? I make the same arguement about Internet Explorer. I know people that refuse to use version 6. Why use a buggy browser? ANY browser!The only problems with Netscape is the unwanted bloatware that they pack with it and the fact that it gets "stale" after a while. I get bug fixes and newer features, you don't, or at least not as often. Or as certain. Suddenly Netscape is back from the dead but will they come back again next year? I fairly certain that Mozilla is going to be around this time next year. I honestly can't say that for Netscape. It was supposed to be dead. If I was a company looking to roll out Netscape 7.2 I'd have to think hard about doing that. Either kill it or support it but don't dance around flip-flopping. An IT tech nightmare. But that's AOL for you. Actually I wish AOL would bring back Netscape in full force. Mozilla can always use the help, and the money, and guys like you that are gun shy about Open Source projects would have something to use. It wouldn't stop me from using Mozilla and it would make both products lines stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 I not opposed to Netscape.See the progress you've made. And I'm not as "fearful" of Mozilla now either, so we've both come a long way. :)It's been an enlightening thread. Amazing what can be learned when people can communicate without someone editing what they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil P Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 I not opposed to Netscape.See the progress you've made. And I'm not as "fearful" of Mozilla now either, so we've both come a long way. :)It's been an enlightening thread. Amazing what can be learned when people can communicate without someone editing what they say. EdP, now you can try out Mozilla 1.7 RC 1 and see what you'll be getting with Netscape 7.2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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