Release Feature Priorities

[casey]

There are many features that release manifests can support, and I'm not totally sure of what order they should be implemented in. The following list is roughly in the order I expect to implement manifest/release related features.

• #321 – Manifest format: Settled on bencode for the initial implemenation, so this can be closed.

• #363 – Initial manifest support tracking issue: A pre-requisite to everything else.

• #324 – Integrity checking: Very easy, probably useful.

• #452 – Release readme generation: Just a basic readme with facts about the release. Very easy and immediately useful. Once done, later features can be added, like improved styling, etc.

• #451 – Release information: Can be initially exposed in an auto-generated text file, making it immediately useful in conventional releases.

• #447 – File MIME Types: Required for serving release content well. Supports lots of other features that requiring figuring out what to do with releases.

• #448 – Serve contents of a release to a browser: Immediately useful, static server should be very easy.

• #177 – Structured release type: Probably the feature I believe will have the largest impact. However, lots of work, other things to do first.

• #323 – Timestamping: A very interesting features. Of dubious usefulness, but could be interesting nonetheless.

• #449 – Release updates: Only useful with ecosystem buy in, or much further work.

• #325 – Release signing and verification: Only useful with PKI available, which is out of scope for the project at the moment.