GHC 7.8 release?

[Ian Lynagh]

I'm not too optimistic we could actually get the final release out
during February, assuming we want to allow a couple of weeks for people
to test an RC.

Does the Haskell Platform actually want to commit to using a GHC release
with "tons of [new] stuff", that has had little testing, days or weeks
after its release? I thought the idea was that it would favour
known-good releases over the latest-and-greatest, but perhaps I
misunderstood or the philosophy has changed.


Thanks
Ian

On Thu, Feb 07, 2013 at 09:00:37AM -0500, Richard Eisenberg wrote:
> Geoff's reasoning seems quite sound.
> +1 for February release.
> 
> On Feb 7, 2013, at 3:50 AM, Geoffrey Mainland <mainland at apeiron.net> wrote:
> 
> > In practice the versions of GHC that are widely used are those that are
> > included in the platform. Maybe we should coordinate with their next
> > release? They are targeting a May 6 release, and the release process is
> > starting March 4, so it sounds like the original GHC release plan
> > (February release) would be a good fit for the platform as it would
> > allow library writers to catch up and ensure that STABLE was tested
> > enough for inclusion in the platform. It would be a shame to miss the
> > platform release.
> > 
> > Geoff
> > 
> > On 02/07/2013 08:25 AM, Simon Peyton-Jones wrote:
> >> Dear GHC users, 
> >> 
> >> *                                                                                                                  
> >> *
> >> 
> >> *Carter*: Will this RTS update make it into ghc 7.8 update thats coming
> >> up in the next monthish?
> >> 
> >> *Andreas*: We are almost there - we are now trying to sort out a problem
> >> on mac os x. It would be helpful to know if there is a cutoff date for
> >> getting things into 7.8. 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Simon, Ian, and I have just been discussing 7.8, and would be interested
> >> in what you guys think. 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> At ICFP we speculated that we’d make a release of GHC soon after
> >> Christmas to embody tons of stuff that has been included since 7.6,
> >> specifically:
> >> 
> >> ·         major improvements in DPH (vectorisation avoidance, new
> >> vectoriser)
> >> 
> >> ·         type holes
> >> 
> >> ·         rebindable list syntax
> >> 
> >> ·         major changes to the type inference engine
> >> 
> >> ·         type level natural numbers
> >> 
> >> ·         overlapping type families
> >> 
> >> ·         the new code generator
> >> 
> >> ·         support for vector (SSE/AVX) instructions
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Whenever it comes it would definitely be great to include Andreas &
> >> friends’ work:
> >> 
> >> ·         Scheduler changes to the RTS to improve latency
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> The original major reason for proposing a post-Xmas release was to get
> >> DPH in a working state out into the wild.  However, making a proper
> >> release imposes costs on everyone else.  Library authors have to scurry
> >> around to make their libraries work, etc.   Some of the new stuff hasn’t
> >> been in HEAD for that long, and hence has not been very thoroughly
> >> tested.   (But of course making a release unleashes a huge wave of
> >> testing that doesn’t happen otherwise.)
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> So another alternative is to leave it all as HEAD, and wait another few
> >> months before making a release.  You can still use all the new stuff by
> >> compiling HEAD, or grabbing a snapshot distribution.  And it makes it
> >> hard for the Haskell platform if GHC moves too fast. Many people are
> >> still on 7.4.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> There seem to be pros and cons each way.  I don’t have a strong
> >> opinion.  If you have a view, let us know.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Simon