2.5 beta release blogpost

[Eve00000]

https://deploy-preview-354--mixxx-website.netlify.app/news/2024-06-12-mixxx-2-5-beta-released/

[Eve00000]

In the coming weeks (after today) I won't have a lot of spare time so in order not to block the release-process I added rronso0 and Daniel as collaborators. Thank you Antoine for pointing this out. Feel free to change append ... but please keep the safeguard-advice in order to find new testers.

[daschuer]

I like the new fresh tone of our release announcements!

In general backups are always a good idea. The missing piece is that is case a backup is in place, you can go install 2.5-beta on top of 2.4.1 and vice versa without hassle and without loosing data. In case your personal tests successful you can keep using 2.5-alpha in your bedroom.

The backup is required if this statement is wrong. It is not wrong as of my knowledge of today, but since 2.5-beta is a rolling release towards 2.5.0 it can break with any commit.

Can we integrate these info somehow nicely? The intention is to make it more appealing to benefit form the beta features and do testing in the same go.

[Eve00000]

I agree, but on the download page we recommend to use the stable release:
"For live use, we recommend to download the stable 2.4.1 version. More conservative users can still download one of the older and unsupported versions of Mixxx instead."
Should this be changed?

Maybe something as:
'In case you're not planning a Live performance you can keep on working with the latest beta release. If you do plan a Live-Set we would advice you to make a backup of your stable situation and restore this after your beta-testing-period before you are going Live.'
or
'The Mixxx-database and settings are the same in version 2.4.2 and 2.5, if your planning a Live-performance you can de-install the beta version and reinstall the stable version before going Live."

[daschuer]

Should this be changed?

Yes, that sounds wrong, because the 3.6 has not fixed bug. We may change the hint on the download page to something like that, as soon the beta is available:

"For live use, we recommend to download the stable 2.4.1 version. If you do plan a Live-Set you may also use the current 2.5-beta version to benefit form new features and help to verify stability. In addition you are still able to download one of the older and unsupported versions of Mixxx for reference."

[Eve00000]

So the text in te release can be something like:
... It explains about making a timestamp-image, backing up your data, tips and tricks.
A beta release contains the solutions for problems that occured and were notified by users who tested the alpha release. The beta release is a general check before the new version can be released.
The Mixxx-database and settings of Mixxx 2.4.x stable are equal to those in Mixxx 2.5 beta, this means you can install the 2.5 over the 2.4 and vice versa without a problem. Once you tested the 2.5 beta for yourself you can contimue using this version in your bedroom as well in Live-DJ-ing to benefit the new features.
Please join Mixxx. In Mixxx we trust.

[daschuer]

Yes many with as mall tweak:

After you have successfully tested the 2.5 beta for yourself, you can contimue using this version in your bedroom or even during Live-DJ-ing, and thus benefit from the new features.

I think with your suggestion included we can give it a go.

[Eve00000]

all done

[daschuer]

I have replaced the long Changelog with a brief visible features list and fixed some minor typos.
Is it still OK? I will release the beat soon.

[acolombier]

LGTM 🚀

[ronso0]

Thank you, this looks good!

I left some notes, and I'd appreciate if a native speaker could take a look. @ywwg ?

[ronso0]

Hmm, not sure what this should tell me. Users should test any version before going live.

[daschuer]

I think the essence should be, that there is nothing against using a beta live, when you have tested it yourself and you like to benefit from a new feature. Do you have an idea to phrase this nice?

[Eve00000]

indeed, any version should be tested, but using an alpha and certainly a beta doesn't mean that your computer can explode. I wanted to explain that a beta is a very good version, with minor bug that need to be corrected before the stable release.

[daschuer]

OK the download links are now working. @Eve00000 I will now stop messing with your PR ;-)
I hope I have not created headaches due to my force push.

[Eve00000]

No problem, you can do whatever you like, I already committed some of ronsoO's suggestions

[ronso0]

Wdyt about

I suggest to remove the screenshot.
Is this feature worth a dedicated blog post?

[Eve00000]

I think the decision should be taken by @acolombier, he wrote this piece and the image is quiet explicative.
I think the feature will need a lot more explanation, maybe even an extra post on it's own.

[acolombier]

I think it could definitely be removed and use a blog post on its own to try and invite the community to help updating existing mapping. Sadly I won't have time to prepare the post yet. Maybe we can suggest the blog post will be release soon? Or perhaps someone else could prepare it?

[Eve00000]

Thank you @acolombier.
If this image and the explication is in the release post, it has a wauw-effect, I think readers will be curious about all possibilities.
If we take it out and wait for the moment Antoine has some time it could have more attention, but we would loose time when people test and report bugs (I would offer to write, but I think somebody who has the S4 Mk3 could write an experience-post.
Your choice.
(there is still a 'MASTER' on it, I wrote it on zulip some time ago)

[ywwg]

taking a look

[acolombier]

(there is still a 'MASTER' on it, I wrote it on zulip some time ago)

There is a physical button labelled MASTER on the S4Mk3

[ywwg]

first pass of suggestions. I will probably do one pass after this one

[JoergAtGithub]

Shouldn't we mention that we discontinue support for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and Windows 10 releases earlier than 1809. As well as we discontinue the support for the whole macOS 10.x series.

[daschuer]

Oh yes. We should even make it more prominent in the CHANGELOG. I will file proposal.

[Eve00000]

taking a look

thank you

[Eve00000]

@acolombier
Antoine, could you please adjust the controller-mapping item? Maybe announce a newspost / wiki article to be available soon?

[ronso0]

@acolombier Antoine, could you please adjust the controller-mapping item? Maybe announce a newspost / wiki article to be available soon?

IMHO we shouldn't announce posts unless we already have at least a WIP PR.

[acolombier]

Yes, agreed, especially as I am not sure I will find the time to write it.
I have removed the screenshot now

[Eve00000]

Thank you for the review and for the 'poetic' suggestions :-)

[daschuer]

@ronso0 We really need to push this live. Is this OK now?

[ronso0]

Sure, my comments were addressed, I have no objections.
Squash the commits and merge?

[daschuer]

@Eve00000 thank you for this nice post.

[ronso0]

Yeah, thanks for writing this!