[IPython-user] Towards IPython 1.0, the famous big cleanup

[John Hunter]

>>>>> "Fernando" == Fernando Perez <Fernando.Perez at colorado.edu> writes:

    Fernando> I'd stopped talking about the famous 'big cleanup'
    Fernando> because I was really looking like a fool.  But it's
    Fernando> really time to get to it.  I have a growing list of
    Fernando> things I want to do with IPython and which are simply
    Fernando> impossible with the current structure.

And this time you really mean it :-)

    Fernando> So if you have some really critical bug which is driving
    Fernando> you crazy, either report it (preferably with a patch) in
    Fernando> the next 2-3 weeks, or prepare to live with it for quite
    Fernando> a while.  The moment I commit the first change to CVS, I
    Fernando> will simply have to ignore EVERY REQUEST made, until the
    Fernando> new shiny ipython emerges from the process, reborn in a
    Fernando> glory which shall blind the world.  I'm sorry to put it
    Fernando> this way, but since I do this alone, I simply lack
    Fernando> enough resources to develop a new codebase while
    Fernando> maintaining the current one.

While I respect the "there's only one Fernando" argument, I'm lobbying
for a branch.  It's not too hard to keep a bugfix release tree and if
someone sends a mission critical bug against that tree to incorporate
it and release it.  I think you can free up most of your ipython time
by doing a feature freeze, while still supporting critical bug-fixes
against the old tree.

Maybe some kind ipython user should pony up and offer to maintain a
bugfix tree of the 0.6.13 tree?  Basically, all you have to do is
apply critical patches and pester Fernando to upload the bugfix
releases every 4 weeks or so until he emerges from ipython 3000.  I
would volunteer to do it but, like Fernando, am over-committed on this
crazy open source venture myself.  Volunteers?

    Fernando> It has been months since a crash has been reported in
    Fernando> active code (I do get occasional crash reports from
    Fernando> users running out-of-date versions).  Because of this, I
    Fernando> don't think this freeze will be too problematic for
    Fernando> anyone.

I got a segfault on tab completion the other day in CVS ipython but
could not replicate it.  Hit the tab key and boom, everything was
gone.  I was using wx I think.  Tried reloading the libs and
re-executing the same commands but couldn't replicate it so I didn't
report it.  My point is that the gthread and wthread code is still
potentially flaky and serious, mission critical bugs could still be
lurking.

    Fernando> As always, I'll welcome any comments, discussion, ideas,
    Fernando> patches or help in this process.

Hey, you asked :-)

JDH