Online Developer Meeting (2023-11-28)

Today's topics

Octave 8.4.0 has been released.
Octave 9 release activities
- 9.1 Release Checklist
Consider reverting the removal of the configure flag that allows disabling the bytecode VM?
Clarify changes that should target the stable or the default branch.
Clarify what should be part of reviewing a change before pushing it to the repository. Any difference for changes to the stable or the default branch?

Release activities
- Final release of Octave 8.x before merging default to stable? (23 commits to stable since Octave 8.3.0) Agreed
- Merge default to stable in early November? Agreed
- Major bugs? Blockers? None mentioned
November online event? Nothing new mentioned
GSoC payment timeline? Same status as a month ago, no change
What can be done to improve distribution for macOS?
- references:
  - https://wiki.octave.org/Octave_for_macOS
  - https://github.com/octave-app/octave-app-bundler
- Need Mac users to test Octave installation process, and use that feedback to improve the Octave wiki page on installing Octave on Mac.

Future of the bytecode interpreter (https://octave.discourse.group/t/future-of-the-bytecode-interpreter/4940)
- Make them both converge in future. Keep both lines of development open in parallel for now. Don't merge too quickly. Be prepared for having to port features from one to the other. Make the bytecode interpreter NOT call the tree evaluator at all.