[TYPO3-dev] How to auto-update Typo3 to latest stable via SVN ?

[Xavier Perseguers]

Hi,

>> trunk and branches are generally not to be meant as stable, but tags of
>> course can be. I suppose the stable packages are built from tagged svn
>> versions. So if tag is unstable, package will also be. So stable or not
>> depends on the policy and convention of svn repository. Please correct
>> me if I am wrong in the case of TYPO3 core.
> 
> TYPO3 core team guaranties you that released packages are stable.
> Nothing else is guarantied to be stable. SVN is a tool for
> developers. If you use SVN and not official packages, you are on
> your own. No guaranties for SVN. Even tags can be moved in time.

Yes, you're right. But I understand the Stefan's need because what is 
missing for the time being is a way to *easily* get a list of 
security/bug patches that may be applied to a stable version without 
needing to wait for the next release which requires some efforts from 
the release manager to prepare.

I already told about it but see the list of errata and patch for OpenBSD 
(http://openbsd.org/errata44.html). This is meant as an easy way for 
administrator to fix *blocking* bugs. This way, it's very easy to 
monitor this list and apply the patch one after the other.

The problem with the current system is that 1) you cannot blindly apply 
commits to SVN to your stable version because maybe you'll break 
something and 2) it's quite complicated to monitor which patch has been 
committed and why _in an automatic way_, I mean without having to read 
the different core threads.

You know the problem that arised with 4.2.2 and the time it took before 
getting 4.2.3 (I'm not blaming anyone). Many website maintainers had to 
switch back to 4.2.1 whereas a list of patches to be applied to 4.2.2 
may have allow them to actually keep the 4.2.2+ version being used in a 
productive way.

-- 
Xavier Perseguers
http://xavier.perseguers.ch/en/tutorials/typo3.html