[fpc-devel] 134 open merge requests - is that normal?

[mailinglists at geldenhuys.co.uk]

On 2026-04-04 09:52, Michael Van Canneyt via fpc-devel wrote:
> - Track progress:
>   I think having an milestone/epic and a task list in gitlab could be 
> helpful.
>   In that case multiple people can work on it and it would be fully 
> tracked.


As I see it, there are two ways to simplify matters significantly:

1. Move to time-based releases, as I explained in my initial message. 
These
    would be based on the "main" branch.

2. Anything merged into the "main" branch that qualifies as a hotfix can 
be
    marked in the MR with a milestone version (the next fixes release 
number).
    That way, GitLab tracks all outstanding milestone items for you, 
making it
    very easy for multiple people to work through the list.


The more radical approach:
--------------------------
However, given the limited manpower and time the FPC team is currently 
experiencing, I would suggest an even more radical approach: **ditch 
"fixes" branches completely**, unless a truly critical bug slips 
through. In those cases, fix just that specific issue, add a test to 
verify it, and ship that point release as a hotfix.

It would be better to spend the limited time available on improving the 
efficiency of the release cycle instead. If a time-based release every 
six months becomes a "no-brainer," it results in less effort for the FPC 
team and more frequent releases for end-users—leading to more widespread 
usage and better feedback.

Regards,
   - Graeme -