Schedules/KDE4/4.0 Release Schedule
All dates given here are subject to revision, but we will try our best to stick to them if possible. The KDE Release Team is acting as the coordinator for the 4.0 release.
KDE 4.0
August 2006: Technical Preview 1
The first technical preview, a developer release.
November 2006: Technical Preview 2
The second technical preview, a developer release.
February 2007: Technical Preview 3
The third technical preview, a developer release.
The kdelibs API will remain as stable as possible after that, so that application developers (in particular those not having their code in the KDE SVN) can start porting towards a stable kdelibs API.
Of course the applications in the KDE SVN will have been ported all along, and it will possible to alpha-test them at this stage.
Milestones
Milestones help guide us toward a final release, and the dates are subject to change. For more details see our roadmap.
April 2, 2007: Subsystem Freeze
From this date forward, no new KDE subsystem or major changes can be committed to kdelibs.
The buildsystem requirements (i.e. cmake version) are fixed.
May 1, 2007: kdelibs Soft Freeze
The kdelibs API is "soft-frozen", meaning that changes can be made but only with the consent of the core developers.
May 3, 2007: Alpha Tagging
The Alpha will be source only -- without translations.
June 1, 2007: trunk/KDE is module frozen
Trunk is frozen for new or resurrected applications.
A list of main modules that will be included in the final release will be made.
June 27, 2007: Alpha2 Tagging
The Alpha2 will be source only -- without translations.
July 24, 2007: Core Library Freeze
The core library APIs are frozen solid.
July 26, 2007: Beta1 Tagging
Beta 1 is prepared and released after some initial testing. The incoming bugs will be reviewed for their severity.
Trunk is frozen for feature commits. i18n string changes are allowed.
August 20, 2007: Message Freeze
Only previously untranslated strings or clear errors in strings can be fixed - no new strings.
August 25, 2007: Beta2 Tagging
Beta 2 is prepared and released after some initial testing. The incoming bugs will be reviewed for their severity.
September 23, 2007: Total Release Freeze
This is the very last for committing anything that isn't reviewed on the development lists. If in doubt, ask the release coordinator.
September 25, 2007: Release Candidate 1
Targeted date for first release candidate. Only regressions (breakage caused by the KDE4 port) or grave bugs can be fixed.
October 9, 2007: Release Candidate 2
Targeted date for second release candidate and then wait for show stoppers to appear.