[gmx-developers] First GROMACS 2020 beta

[Paul bauer]

Hi developers,

As you've probably seen, we've made the first beta release of GROMACS 2020,
which we plan to ship before the new year. Please do help us dogfood things
by building the code on your local machines and trying out your favourite
simulations - the core developers test a lot of things, but we need people
to try things that are our outside of our brain space, too!

We'll be making a TODO list for things we want to have done to test the
code before we make the final release, so watch this space.

I'll be adding the dedicated branches for release-2020 in the near future,
as soons as all targeted features have been included to avoid needless
cherry-picking to different branches.

We will make updated beta releases on a bi- to tri- weekly basis on 
whatever is currently on
the HEAD of waht will be release-2020. If you want a bug fix to be in 
the next beta,
please help organize to get the fix made and reviewed. The role of the
release manager is to ship code that's in good shape, not to shepherd every
known issue to be resolved before shipping.

I'll ship the next beta in mid October, unless we decide there's something
more important we want fixed and out there sooner!

Release-2019 is still open for bug fixing, but effectively immediately it's
moving to mode where we fix in that branch only bugs that a likely to lead
to wrong science. The same is true for release-2018, where only absolutely
critical fixes will now be admitted before a final patch version likely 
at the
end of the year. The release-2019 branch will stay open for about a year 
for such
fixes, and closed around the time of GROMACS 2021. Fixes in it should be
cherry-picked to 2020, or will be merged into release-2020 on a 
semi-regulary basis.

Technically master branch is now back open for general GROMACS work, but
many of the key people will be fully occupied with testing and fixing for
some weeks yet!

Happy coding

-- 
Paul Bauer, PhD
GROMACS Release Manager
KTH Stockholm, SciLifeLab
0046737308594