-If T is the time of the next release, then the following schedule
-might describe some of the key milestones of the new release cycle:
-
-- T minus one month: start of new development cycle
-- T minus two weeks: announce pending mainline closure to new work
-- T minus one week: close mainline to new work, begin testing phase
-- T minus two days: call for final bug fixes
-- T minus one day: produce -rc packages and distribute to testers
-- T minus one hour: produce final packages and post on-line
-- T minus zero: Announce the release to our mailing list and the world.
+If Tn is the time of release n, then the following schedule
+might describe some key T0-to-T1 release cycle milestones.
+
+- T0 ... End of T0 release cycle. T1 cycle starts, with merge
+ window opening. Developers begin to merge queued work.
+- <em>... several weeks of merge window ...</em>
+- RC1 ... Close mainline to new work. Produce RC1
+ release, begin testing phase; developers are in "bugfix mode",
+ all other work is queued; send out planned endgame schedule.
+- RC2 ... Produce RC2 and send schedule update to
+ mailing list, listing priorities for remaining fixes
+- <em>... more RC milestones, until ready ...</em>
+- T1: End of T1 release cycle. T2 cycle starts, with merge
+ window opening. Developers begin to merge queued work.
+
+Note that until it happens, any date for T1 is just a goal.
+Critical bugs prevent releases from happening. We are just
+beginning to use this window-plus-RCs process, so the lengths
+of the merge windows versus the RC phase is subject to change.
+Most projects have RC phases of a month or more.