V8 version for 7.0.0 release

[targos]

I'm opening this to discuss about the V8 version that we would like to integrate in the v7.0.0 release and how it will affect the timing of the given release.

The LTS plan states that the current v6 release will transition to LTS when v7 is cut and this should happen in October.

According to this web page, next Chromium releases are estimated as:

• 53: Sep 6th, 2016
• 54: Oct 18th, 2016

It means that if we want to include V8 5.4 in the v7 version, we will have to wait until the second half of October. I think we should do that if possible and maybe start working very early on the integration of this version by skipping 5.3.
IMO this doesn't have to block the release of v6 LTS on October 1. We could have an overlap of current and LTS for a couple weeks.

Ref: #7824 (comment)
cc @ofrobots @srl295 @nodejs/lts @nodejs/v8

[fhinkel]

/cc @natorion

[natorion]

Considering that the LTS release is going to live for some time I would try to maximize the time of "official support". This means go with 5.4. Waiting for V8 5.4 has a few other benefits too:

• More mature Interpreter
• More mature async/await implementation including debugging (no clue though if this is going to be shipped or staged though)

[targos]

v7.0.0 is not going to be an LTS release. It will live for about 8 months.
The next LTS will be based on v6.x, so it will ship with V8 5.0 or 5.1 (hopefully).

[bricss]

It would be nice to see V8 5.4 in the node v7.0.0 🐋

[Fishrock123]

¯_(ツ)_/¯ as @targos says it'll only be around just over a half a year.

[Fishrock123]

V6 LTS doesn't need to release until mid-way through october somewhere though.

[mhdawson]

I lean towards delaying V7 to wait for 54, while at the same time not having that determine when v6 becomes LTS. The net would either be no new stable for a few weeks which seems acceptable.

[ronkorving]

What are the benefits of 54 compared to 53?

[bricss]

@ronkorving it's all about performance and stability improvements with ES7 features support.

[jasnell]

We will likely be cutting the v7 branch off master in early september so we can begin making sure things are stable for the release. If we can land a pre-stable version of 54 there it would allow us to do additional testing to make sure things are going to work. It would be a bit odd, however, since we don't typically land v8's until they reach stable. I just don't like the idea of doing a series of v7 betas or release candidates with an older v8, then update v8 to 54 at the last minute before the actual v7.0.0 release.

[targos]

I think we can safely start the v7 betas with V8 5.4, that will likely enter the beta phase before September.

[Fishrock123]

I am not comfortable going stable with a beta V8.

This is not necessarily about instability, but that V8 could remove features from beta when it goes into stable. (We had this once before, I forget the API)

[jasnell]

@targos ... when is 5.4 expected to go stable? Are there ABI changes expected between 5.3 and 5.4?

[jasnell]

I agree with @Fishrock123 on this, if 5.4 is not stable by the time we cut 7.0.0, we should not include it. If 5.4 does not break ABI compatibility then we ought to be able to include it in a future 7.x but I don't want to rush it just so we can get it in.

[Qard]

IMO, the expectation that the next version is stable immediately when the previous goes LTS is a bit odd to me. If you want stability, you're probably going to be sticking to LTS versions, so the thing we call "stable" probably doesn't matter to you. In which case, I think it's fine to do beta/rc node versions with beta/rc V8 versions and the official release can be delayed as much as is needed for V8 to go stable.

[ofrobots]

Estimated stable dates for Chromium (and hence V8) are listed here: https://www.chromium.org/developers/calendar.

I think we should try to ship v7.x with V8 5.4. It might mean that the v7.x is near the end of October, but doing RCs with V8 5.4 beta should help us shrink that delay.

[evanlucas]

@Qard We did change the naming of v6 from Stable to Current as well, so I am assuming that v7 will also be named as "Current" vs "Stable"

[Fishrock123]

We did change the naming of v6 from Stable to Current as well, so I am assuming that v7 will also be named as "Current" vs "Stable"

Correct.

[mgol]

This is not necessarily about instability, but that V8 could remove features from beta when it goes into stable. (We had this once before, I forget the API)

Array#values in Node 0.12. Which, incidentally, has been re-added & re-removed recently again.

[wryun]

async/await has shipped, so it would be really good to wait (random bystander).

https://codereview.chromium.org/2367203002

EDIT: oops, just realised that isn't in 5.4 anyway. Oh well, no async/await in Node 7 without --harmony.

[kesarion]

@wryun I could wait. It's async/await we're talking about. It would probably land in the LTS version as well, with a little patience, so everyone can rejoice.

[targos]

async/await will not land in v6 LTS, if that's what you meant. The first LTS version in which it will be available is probably v8.x.

[targos]

I'll close this issue. v7.0.0 will ship with V8 5.4

[mgol]

I've just got an update to Chrome 54 so maybe V8 5.4 is stable now? OTH omahaproxy still points to v53 as stable so maybe I'm getting an A/B testing treatment.

[chicoxyzzy]

Now it's pointing to v54

[monolithed]

So, what are we waiting for? )

[MylesBorins]

nothing, it has landed in v7 😊

On Tue, Oct 18, 2016, 4:53 PM Alexander Abashkin [email protected]
wrote:

So, what are we waiting for? )

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[monolithed]

Ok, when v7 will be available for downloading? 😄

[bricss]

@monolithed 25th of October, 2016

[vsemozhetbyt]

@monolithed You could try betas: https://nodejs.org/download/test/