24.11 Call for Release Manager & Editor

For the upcoming NixOS 24.11, we are looking for a new release manager, as well as a new release editor. Both roles are described in the release manual and require at least a few hours each week, and likely more in the weeks directly leading up to the final release.

Both roles are fulfilled in tandem, meaning you get paired with an experienced partner, who already filled the role during the previous release.

I am @wegank. For this release, I was helped by @Mic92 and @jacg. :wave:
A big thank you to our predecessors and the people who helped behind the scenes.

Responsibilities

Release Manager

The release managers first and foremost shape the roadmap that leads up to the release.

They are in a central position that allows them to keep track of the overall progress and requires them to communicate with the wider Nixpkgs community here on Discourse, but also over on GitHub and the Release Management Matrix room.

They track blocking issues, participate in reviews and organize the Zero Hydra Failures bug-squashing effort.

They have the chance to interact with various infrastructure repositories (infra, homepage, search, etc.) that most Nixpkgs contributors don’t interact much with.

They need to perform a number of release management tasks, which are outlined in the manual.

They need to test the final release and make sure the basics work as intended.

Overall, I think that the strength of the release manager role comes from enabling your fellow community members to do what needs to be done.

The release manual and your partner are there to help you along the way.

Release Editor

The release editors improve the legibility of the final release communication, which includes the release announcement and the release notes.

While the release announcement may primarily need proofreading, the release notes require some additional effort to make them an enjoyable reading experience.

Since the release editor role is rather new, it would be appreciated if the role would also receive some additional documentation regarding scope and opportunities in the release manual.

Requirements

Both roles require a certain time commitment over the next few months.

The release managers require commit access to the Nixpkgs repository, but this isn’t strictly required for the release editors.

The release editors should be proficient in the English language and have great writing skills.

Reach out!

If you’re interested in this community position, please reach out to us! We’d love to hear from you and work together to make NixOS 24.11 the best possible release it can be.

Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out here in the thread, on Matrix or DM me personally.

18 Likes

I also would like to add that the release manual is pretty good so it’s at any point mostly clear what to do to make the release happened. It’s than mostly about making calls i.e. what features to include or what features to postpone for the release.

2 Likes

I’m wanting to apply for the Release Manager role.

19 Likes

I would like to apply as release editor

5 Likes

Editing a release sounds fun, would love to hop in!

2 Likes

Coming up on the release timeline. Seems like we have a manager and two editors. I propose we accept all three and let them get started.

Random recommendation: move the target date for the release 1 week prior to the end of the month, this provides a bit of flexibility for the RM during a very hectic time.

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Sorry for the long delay. We’re happy to accept @RossComputerGuy as the primary release manager, and @getchoo @GetPsyched as release editors.

11 Likes