[Python-Dev] interlocking dependencies on the path to a release

[Anthony Baxter]

So I've been documenting the current state of the release process,
and it's a bit messier than I'd like - particularly with people
scattered across timezones. Here's the list of things that need
to happen, and what depends on each.

1. Include/patchlevel.h
2. Doc build (depends on 1.)
3. Misc/NEWS, Lib/idlelib/NEWS.txt, Lib/idlelib/idlever.py
4. PCbuild/BUILDno.txt, pythoncore.dsp
5. Tag the tree (depends on 1, 3, 5)
6. export/build the tarballs (depends on 5)
7. Build the windows release (depends on 2, 5)
8. Update the webpages, sign the files (depends on 6, 7)
9. Send the email (depends on 8)


Stage 2 is a Fred thing, stages 4 and 7 are Martin, most of the rest
are things I do, although Fred will often do 1 because he needs it
to do 2, and the timezone thing makes it easier for him to just do
it.

(*) The names 'Fred', 'Martin', and 'I' are just the names of the
current set of release people - feel free to substitute roles in
there instead.

I'm not really going anywhere with this yet, but I'm curious
if anyone can see any paths that might lead to a simpler result?
It's particularly bad at the moment, with me being UTC+11, Martin
UTC+1, and Fred UTC-4 (I might be off by an hour or two for Fred
and Martin).