GIMP 2.8 Scheduled For Release Post-Christmas

[phoronix]

Phoronix: GIMP 2.8 Scheduled For Release Post-Christmas

For those interested in the next major update to the GIMP graphics editing application (GIMP 2.8), it now has a tentative release date. GIMP's Martin Nordholts has announced on his blog that GIMP 2.8 is scheduled for release on the 27th of December of this year...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=NzkxNw

[Smorg]

That is one ridiculously long release cycle. Either they are doing a major overhaul, need to switch to a shorter cycle, or are seriously lacking manpower.

[SkyHiRider]

I'd say they are lacking funds. Gimp could use some funding from larger more well known companies as I can't seem to recognise any of the companies listed on their donor page.

[deanjo]

I'd say they are lacking funds. Gimp could use some funding from larger more well known companies as I can't seem to recognise any of the companies listed on their donor page.

Well the delay could also stem from the fact of them wanting to change licenses either having to contact contributed code or rewrite that code from scratch.

[bridgman]

Sounds like they are making some pretty big changes. A year doesn't seem out of line for a *major* release, does it ?

[pvtcupcakes]

Sounds like they are making some pretty big changes. A year doesn't seem out of line for a *major* release, does it ?

2.7.0 came out in August, and I have no idea how long they had been working on it before that.

[ethana2]

Uh. GIMP's biggest single problem right now is that it's name is a bondage reference. Second is probably single window mode. Third I'd pin on GEGL migration.

If I were them I'd set about fixing the first two and getting a new release out IMMEDIATELY. As it stands, they'll just have everybody and their mom using alphas and snapshots and complaining about how it isn't stable... for like a year.

[V!NCENT]

Sounds like they are making some pretty big changes. A year doesn't seem out of line for a *major* release, does it ?

Is this a real question, a rethorical question or are you trying to go somewhere with this? :P

ps: i totaly forgot to get back to you on the copyright law discussion so I'll just grant you the victory on that matter ^^, although I'll keep doing what I'm doing... </offtopic>

[bridgman]

Somewhere in between, I guess. Most people seem to greatly underestimate how long it takes to make major changes to a software product, whether it be a driver or an application.

The most common pattern I see in the open source world goes something like :

- how come nothing is happening ?
- how come nothing is happening ?
- how come nothing is happening ?
- how come nothing is happening ?
- how come nothing is happening ? These guys suck !!
- how come nothing is happening ? Someone needs to replace <product>
- ok, finally something is happening but I expected more
- wow look how fast things are changing - see I knew it was easy
- how come nothing is happening ?
- how come nothing is happening ?
- how come nothing is happening ?
...

What is really happening, of course, is that all the hard work is being done behind the scenes, and when the foundation work is ready for use it shows up and the benefits from a year of hard work appear bit by bit, but relatively quickly.

Big changes to complex software take a long time. Sometimes the passage of time is hidden (ie the foundation work is done quietly or in a private repo) and sometimes the passage of time is visible (as is the case here) but if you look at pretty much any major software revision there's usually a year or two between starting work and having a solid finished product.

Incremental changes can easily appear in incremental releases, but major internal changes normally don't lend themselves to frequent releases.

[darkbasic]

What about 16bit/channel support? Will it be implemented in 2.8?