Re my recent email "Upstream GCC feature freeze", I think we're agreed that we need to create a branch that tracks GCC 4.6 development, but has our own performance improvements included. The question is where to host it?
Option 1: Launchpad/bzr
Pros: * We need no permission to do it * The branch will naturally evolve into our 4.6 release series in time. * The 3-way merge works well (if slowly) * We can include patches that we have no intention of posting upstream ever * Our patch tracker will Just Work. * Merge requests will be available.
Cons: * Bzr ;) * It's hidden away from the view of most GCC developers
Option 2: GCC SVN branch
Pros: * We can work in the open, submitting patches via gcc-patches, as usual * The final merge to GCC trunk (come stage 1) will be eased, a little
Cons: * We can't really apply anything we want just for ourselves * we may end up maintaining an LP branch shadowing the svn branch * When we do want to do 4.6 in LP, we'll have to backport all our patches from 4.7, and this may no longer be straightforward. * Write permissions not clear. * Although I think you can just go ahead and do it?
OK, so I'm sure I've missed some big ones. Please discuss! ;)
I think the big question here is, when will we start wanting to make (unstable/experimental) Linaro GCC 4.6 releases? If we want to do it early, then we'll have no choice but to have an LP branch to release from.
Andrew