Dear MonetDB users and developers (and those who want to become either or both ;-),

On May 30 2005, we plan to release our

new open-source XQuery processor "MonetDB/XQuery 0.8",

which is based on the "Pathfinder" XQuery-to-Relational Algebra compiler and powered by "MonetDB 4.8" (see http://pathfinder-xquery.org/ & http://www.cwi.nl/htbin/ins1/publications?request=abstract&key=BoGrMaRiT... for scientific background information).

In preparation for this release, I created the respective release-candidate branches

"XQuery_0-8" (for pathfinder) "SQL_2-8" (for sql) "MonetDB_4-8" (for MonetDB)

in our CVS repository on SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/cvs/?group_id=56967). The first release-candidate versions are tagged as

"XQuery_0-8-0_rc0" (pathfinder) "SQL_2-8-0_rc0" (sql) "MonetDB_4-8-0_rc0" (MonetDB)

respectively.

All users are highly advised to use the new release-candidate( branche)s as of now (see below for details concerning download and/or CVS checkout/update).

Please note, though, that as of MonetDB 4.8.0_rc0 the database format has changed. Hence, MonetDB 4.8.0_rc0 does no longer work with (old) databases created with previous versions! To use the new version, you need to start with a new "virgin" database (i.e., empty "dbfarm" directory). In case your are upgrading from some older version, and want/need to keep/migrate your database(s), please contact us via the MonetDB-Users mailing list https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/monetdb-users (or via email to monet@cwi.nl). Detailed information about migrating old databases will follow at least with the official release in about a week.

In order to produce a stable release, we higly appreciate any help in detecting, locating and fixing bugs. Hence, please use the new version intensively and spread the news about it to attract more interested testers --- a stable release will be your reward! (We have only ONE week left before the release!)

To ask for support and report bugs or problems, please use the MonetDB-Users mailing list at SourceForge (https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/monetdb-users) or the bug tracing system at SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=56967&atid=482468); however, please always state clearly, which version of MonetDB you are using (as the Mserver tells you at startup)!

For more details, background information, and documentation of MonetDB, MonetDB/SQL & MonetDB/XQuery, please visit the MonetDB web site: http://monetdb.cwi.nl/ .

You'll find an overview of the most important changes since MonetDB 4.6 & MonetDB/SQL 2.6 at http://monetdb.cwi.nl/Development/Roadmap/Version4.8/ (in preparation).

A digest of the detailed CVS log messages will soon be available in the Monetdb-changelogs mailing list on SF: http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/monetdb-changelogs/ .

Any support for the now obsolete "MonetDB 4.6.x" & "MonetDB/SQL 2.6.x" will stop as of now.

Download ========

Pre-packaged source- & binary-distributions are available on SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=305151 .

CVS update ==========

If you are already using a CVS version of MonetDB, sql, or pathfinder, you can run either "cvs update -dP -rMonetDB_4-8-0_rc0" (MonetDB) "cvs update -dP -rSQL_2-8-0_rc0" (sql) "cvs update -dP -rXQuery_0-8-0_rc0" (pathfinder) to get this very release, or "cvs update -dP -rMonetDB_4-8" (MonetDB) "cvs update -dP -rSQL_2-8" (sql) "cvs update -dP -rXQuery_0-8" (pathfinder) to get the most recent version in the release branch. The difference is, that via the first option, you are "stuck" with this very release, i.e., future "cvs update -dP" (without "-r..." or "-A") will not change your checked-out version; via the second option, however, future "cvs update -dP" will get you again the latest version in the release branch.

CVS check-ins =============

All bug fixes (and only these!) on MonetDB, sql, and/or pathfinder are bound to go to the new release candidate branches ("MonetDB_4-8"/"SQL_2-8"/"XQuery_0-8"), only! On a regular basis, we will then take care of propagating these bug-fixes back to the respective development trunks.

All new features are bound to go to the respective development trunks (and only there!).

The release-candidate branches will become the new stable/release branches within about ONE week.

As usually, any (constructive;-) comments and feedback are more than welcome!

Enjoy!

Stefan