From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Chris Marusich Subject: What should go in our NEWS file? Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2018 01:03:55 -0700 Message-ID: <87in8jy8es.fsf@garuda.local.i-did-not-set--mail-host-address--so-tickle-me> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; boundary="=-=-="; micalg=pgp-sha256; protocol="application/pgp-signature" Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:57092) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fA9yg-0007uB-Km for guix-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:04:07 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fA9yc-0007CB-Mn for guix-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:04:06 -0400 Received: from mail-pf0-x235.google.com ([2607:f8b0:400e:c00::235]:44224) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fA9yc-0007Bh-HK for guix-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:04:02 -0400 Received: by mail-pf0-x235.google.com with SMTP id p15so6747938pff.11 for ; Sun, 22 Apr 2018 01:04:02 -0700 (PDT) Received: from garuda.local (c-24-18-253-84.hsd1.wa.comcast.net. [24.18.253.84]) by smtp.gmail.com with ESMTPSA id y20sm15927397pfe.20.2018.04.22.01.03.59 for (version=TLS1_2 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305 bits=256/256); Sun, 22 Apr 2018 01:03:59 -0700 (PDT) List-Id: "Development of GNU Guix and the GNU System distribution." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: guix-devel-bounces+gcggd-guix-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: "Guix-devel" To: guix-devel@gnu.org --=-=-= Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Guix! The Guix source tree contains a NEWS file in its root directory. What is supposed to go into this NEWS file? When should we update it? The GNU Standards just says that it should contain "a list of user-visible changes worth mentioning" ((standards) NEWS File): 6.7 The NEWS File =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D In addition to its manual, the package should have a file named `NEWS' which contains a list of user-visible changes worth mentioning. In each new release, add items to the front of the file and identify the version they pertain to. Don't discard old items; leave them in the file after the newer items. This way, a user upgrading from any previous version can see what is new. If the `NEWS' file gets very long, move some of the older items into a file named `ONEWS' and put a note at the end referring the user to that file. I'm curious to know what sort of changes should be included in our NEWS file, and what sort of changes should not. I'd like to know so that I will know when I need to update the file. For example, here are some common changes that we make in Guix: * Add a new package. * Change a package. * Add a new service type. * Change a service type. * Add a new Guix API or data type. * Change a Guix API or data type. And here are some things we do perhaps less frequently: * Remove a package, service type, Guix API, or data type. * Change something for security reasons. * Change something in backwards incompatible ways. I think it would be useful to put some guidelines for when to update the NEWS file into the Contributing section of our manual. However, I'm not familiar with what we should put into the NEWS file, so I'm hoping that others who have contributed more can offer insight on what to write. =2D-=20 Chris --=-=-= Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc" -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQIzBAEBCAAdFiEEy/WXVcvn5+/vGD+x3UCaFdgiRp0FAlrcQesACgkQ3UCaFdgi Rp2USxAAmLyACsGdjGVI41jMMU81zRGak4yKufq/z6aGEo5gWufGrKmcf4aK13Ck 4Zk7H448ZUkzUaMKtSjlV6wejOR9A3hQPS2iXgbvC2PcL8PBV88jhR7HC0lWMkdf cngXZhq4vmjr8zifgz/tFfflBHh/dwptYkxqD9Ph9fh8ZUVoTNEDcwVHt5pdEhID yiQ+TwDGRJR0emUfM+J3erc0apC3qfsQNn/ELOWvI5PJMxgjsTTnOjwPOZYzYURN /THlDJVcFJ/iOQ5wTxVSUYZL2SEBfzsrLL1tu9997aHnGigmB/wN6Tw0vOAAaRqc 4Ifi9gI10+sJZSP2n1umEl9oDaaUKa8n/PBaTbe8g5AuBmARO96Ip64v/zBf4BZl FG00TzdAFqElYxYUu0RyEDnLr3P7tgiP4s/I7rC/JaRqzixoFvWd9U0LpJZvuuyH VEin4+Aak6Rpb+l39V3DmoPxB9dImX2FTq7ynfu3omKeHtzW1VWKpiI11baWYFVL NDkLjMbXOibm8LmzCuOssnLDAOhm120LfRLgbj7q9c/GYr0IqDEHjroEhkGaYDAr XacbH3ZmFJ14lAz6m7dW3Undis1in6OlUiVfjuNOweHiGzXgtwku5w8q69BLO0q0 C8rrrImKpsa1pgly0Z5Aid+5JRyW/+RfVzbiF6+K20qfsGxSCS0= =4cc7 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --=-=-=--