[TYPO3-dev] [TYPO3-v4] Minutes of the 4th meeting of the 4.7 Release Team

[Ernesto Baschny]

Steffen Müller schrieb am 13.12.2011 13:19:
> Hi.
> 
> On 13.12.2011 13:02 Jigal van Hemert wrote:
>>
>> Currently there is no need for an additional LTS version (only time will
>> tell if it becomes necessary again). The main reason for 4.5 being LTS
>> is that we wanted to drop IE6 support for the Backend.
> 
> This is developers point of view. But LTS has become more than that.
> From user point of view LTS has become a big success, since users can
> choose LTS version for projects with focus on stability or non-LTS for
> faster progress with new features.
> This choice is IMHO very valueable for users. The feedback I get about
> that is very positive.

Yes, I can also agree and I just posted that I think we did a perfect
timing with this LTS release.

> So I'd say we do need an additional LTS as a successor of 4.5

I also think we will need the successor, but it's too early to decide on
when. Strictly speaking we would need one at LEAST in 2014 after 4.5 is
"EOL" (4.11 or 4.12). But if we reach 2013 and have a good reason to
make a new LTS by then (i.e. "drop support for IE8" hehe), it might be
worth a shot. But doing that, we need to consider that we still have to
maintain 4.5 LTS.

Might also be that in 2014 we decide to keep on maintaining 4.5 LTS
because it is "so old school and cool" and we can even consider doing
that (if the public wants it).

In general, maintaining a release takes less effort over time, as it
gets more and more "stable". Caveats might be:

- evolving browser-technologies. But I think we have a good ground work
in our backend (supporting IE6 until the most modern one available).
Browsers "tend" to be backwards compatible in future versions anyway.

- security issues gets more "difficult" to backport, because the 4.5
code will be so different than the 4.10 code in 2 years.

> P.S.
> Of course all versions prior to 4.3 have been LTS too, although it was
> not named LTS ;-)

4.1 was a "LTS" release (supported for 3 years since release). Starting
with 4.3 the "shorter cycles" already were established. See [1]

Cheers,
Ernesto

[1] http://www.typo3-anbieter.de/de/typo3-cms/typo3-lts.html

-- 
Ernesto Baschny
Core Developer V4 Team
Release Manager TYPO3 4.5

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