[fpc-devel] What about splitting compiler and packages releases?

[Peter]

Hi all,

I was wondering: would it make sense to split the release schedule of
the compiler and the included packages?

Compiler releases are not frequent (latest is May 2021). In the
meantime, useful functionality, bug fixes and improvements have been
added to the packages. To use these added and updated packages, AFAIK,
there are two possibilities:

1. Use the trunk compiler (eg using fpcupdeluxe). Not recommended for
production environments.
2. Use a stable compiler, manually download updated packages to a
different location and make sure the compiler uses the updated
packages instead of the ones included with the compiler distribution
(bit of a hassle).

I think it would be very useful to have more frequent (stable) package
releases, while the compiler itself can stick to the current frequency
of (thoroughly tested) releases.

If I miss a smart way to use updated packages with a stable compiler,
please let me know. Thanks!

Kind regards,
Peter