Schedules/KDE4/4.0 Release Roadmap

KDE 4.0 Release Roadmap

Milestone: Subsystem Freeze

Date: 2 April 2007

Goals:

• After this date forward, no major KDE subsystem can be committed to kdelibs.
• The location of all classes are fixed within kdelibs.
• Trunk is expected to contain KDE4 code only now. This effectively means that all scripts processing translations for KDE3 in trunk will cease.
• Extragear applications that want to release based on KDE3 are expected to move to /branches/stable and work from there.
• The buildsystem requirements are fixed; i.e, must not require a version of cmake greater than 2.4.5.
• Qt 4.3 is required from here until release.

• 31 March - 2 April is Big Changes 3-Day Weekend to make the final set of big changes.

Milestone: kdelibs Hackathon Week

Start: 15 Apr 2007 (estimated) End: 21 Apr 2007 Duration: 1 week

Goals:

• kdelibs polishing and fine-tuning.
• Developer meeting (possible, planning TBD).
• Full API review of Phonon and Solid (Oslo meeting)

Milestone: kdelibs Soft API Freeze

Date: 1 May 2007

Goals:

• The kdelibs API is frozen. This means that the classes and interfaces are not allowed to change, except with permission of the core developers.
• To make an API change, post a kdelibs API exception request to the kde-core-devel mailinglist with an explanation and the code. If there are no objections after a week, the change can be committed.

NOTE: all affected modules must continue to compile and work as expected.

Milestone: Alpha Release Tagged

Date: 3 May 2007

The Alpha will be source only -- without translations.

Milestone: New Application Freeze and Usability and Accessibility Review

Date: 8 May 2007

Goals:

• All applications expected to be released with KDE 4.0 must:
  • use the new cmake buildsystem
  • compile with Qt4.3 and Template:Module. (Using Q3Support and/or kde3support is ok, though not desired)
  • have a handbook (that at least describes what the application does)
• New applications must be committed into Template:Module for review
• Resurrected applications must be committed back into their KDE main module
• Start Application Usability and Accessibility Review continuing until the start of the Beta Cycle

Milestone: Module Freeze

Date: 1 June 2007

Goals:

• Any new application from Template:Module must be in place in its KDE main module.
• The KDE main modules are frozen for new applications.
• The main module maintainers must indicate if they will follow the release schedule or will divert and not be released together with KDE 4.0.

Milestone: Artwork Freeze

Start: 13 June 2007 (tentative)

Goals:

• Last chance to commit a new (excluding oxygen) style or theme into kdeartwork.
• The work does not need to be 100% complete at this time, but it must be nearing completion so it can be reviewed and beta-tested.

Milestone: Alpha2 Release

Date: 27 June 2007

Goals:

• The Alpha2 Release will be source only -- without translations.
• The tagging will occur on this date, with the actual release occurring soon after.

Milestone: Core Library API Freeze

Date: 24 July 2007

Goals:

• The core library APIs are frozen solid. The core libraries include those in the kdesupport, kdelibs, and kdepimlibs modules.

Milestone: Beta Cycle

Start: 25 July 2007 End: 20 November 2007 Duration: 4 months (estimated)

Goals:

• From this date forward, a Beta Release will be published every month until most grave bugs are resolved. The actual release of the Betas will occur soon after the tagging.
• Starting after the second Beta (30 August):
  • application feature freeze commences: focus shifts to stabilizing the applications, fixing bugs, and improving art and documentation.
• The Beta Cycle will continue until these critical products are determined to be functional (the "minimum requirements"):
  • The workspace
    • Plasma (aseigo)
    • color configuration (mwoehlke)
  • Oxygen style (mwoehlke, boemann, #oxygen)
  • Konqueror
  • Dolphin (Peter Penz)
  • KMail (till, tmg)
  • Kate
  • sound (Vir)

Milestone: Release Candidate Cycle

Start: 21 November 2007 End: 19 December 2007 Duration: 4 weeks (estimated)

Goals:

• From this date forward, a Release Candidate will be released every two weeks until *all* grave bugs are resolved.
• After the first Release Candidate there is a total release freeze. This means only regressions (breakage caused due to the KDE4 port) or grave bugs can be fixed, but nothing else.
• With the first Release Candidate, a list of languages which will be included with the KDE 4.0 release will be made available, based on the usual rules.

Milestone: KDE 4.0 Released

Date: 20 December 2007

Goals:

• This date is based on an estimated 4 Beta's and 2 Release Candidates.