On Nov 26, 2009, at 6:01, Terry Barnaby <terry1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ok, controversial title.
I have just tried to test install F12 on some of my systems, (5
different ones).
All of these bar 1 has problems with the graphics (X11 lockups,
system lockups
and other problems) mainly in 3D but also in 2D.
I still am using F8 on most of my systems as the Graphics systems
have not
been stable enough for 3D in Fedora since around those times.
I know there is a lot of work going on in the graphics front, I myself
have worked on and fed back issues as time and ability allow. During
F11
I helped with some issues, but unfortunately none of these made it
back into
updates for F11 and now F12 is out with yet more issues.
The Linux kernel is generally relatively stable, as is the main system
libraries etc in Fedora. The core issues most people seem to be
facing is Graphics and Sound issues. Obviously a major issue with
Graphics is the sheer
number of different graphics chip sets in use and the lack of
documentation
for quite a few of them. Due to this it requires a lot of user
testing and
feedback to get these issues sorted out. Unfortunately the very fast
Fedora new release schedule gets in the way of getting this testing
done
and things do not get fixed prior to a new release which introduces
yet
another set of problems. The new release speed also uses a lot of
developer and user time in just managing to create a new release and
updating systems to use it.
I know the quick release cycle is one of Fedora's features in its
aim to
be close to the leading edge, but this has to be balanced with
usability otherwise there will be few people actually using it in
anger and thus
actually testing the software. This could lead to the demise of
Fedora.
As an idea, at this stage, how about canceling the F13 release and
just fixing and updating the F12 release ? This will concentrate
developers and users into one system release. Similar to the pre-
release test days we could have
post-release test days. For example a Graphics test day for F12 where
a certain set of tests with a test suite and a set of well known
applications
could be run. As F12 would be out longer, more people could
participate in this.
If a commitment, all round, to producing updates fixing the issues
in F12 were made, I think more people would be willing to
participate as users could
expect to see a stable system for their efforts.
You make the assumption that if fedora stopped, so would upstream. You
also state that the kernel is stable, yet most of the graphics work is
going on at the kernel level so we have to continue to bring in new
kernels to pick up these changes.
Graphics work is not a fedora issue alone. It is an upstream issue
first and formost. By abandoning upstream and trying to stagnate will
ultimatly damage upstreams ability to gennew changes tested and
released.
--
Jes
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