[DISCUSS] cordova-windows patch release badly needed

[Chris Brody <ch...@gmail.com>]

A cordova-windows patch release is badly needed to resolve crash on startup
on Windows 8.1 platform build, as discussed in the following issues:

   - https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CB-12784
   - https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CB-13175

I would qualify this to be a critical issue, through with lower severity
than a security issue.

I can think of the following alternatives:

   - Ship patch release based on 5.0.x branch, which already has the bug fix
   - Ship new release based on cordova-windows master branch


I would strongly favor shipping a release based on the 5.0.x branch for the
following reasons:

1. I really do not like the idea that people should have to upgrade to a
new major release with at least one breaking change just to get a crash fix.

2. Shipping the patch fix would give us more time to get the following
items right in the next major release:

   - e2e (end-to-end) build tests
   - resolve CB-13870 <https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CB-13870> -
   issue with cordova requirements
   - other fixes wanted: CB-13817
   <https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CB-13817> (new uwp alias),
   CB-13861 <https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CB-13861> (update
   TargetPlatformVersion)

General comments: I had expected a cordova-windows release with the crash
fix several weeks ago. The release was already delayed for what I think are
good reasons, and it is now delayed by another blocker.

I now find it unacceptable that the crash fix continues to be blocked by
some other items. I think the only good solution at this point is to make
the patch release with the bug fix already in the 5.0.x branch.

Thanks and best regards,
Chris

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrody/