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If you do believe that a new package, a new upstream version of a package,
or a new feature is needed for the release and will not introduce more
problems than it fixes, please follow the Freeze Exception Process by filing
bugs and subscribing ubuntu-release or motu-release as appropriate.

  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FreezeExceptionProcess

Please also make sure that specs assigned to you for Hardy are updated
to their current status (which should be at least Beta Available if
not Deferred, or unless granted freeze exception).

  https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy/


Our next testing milestone, Hardy Alpha 5, is scheduled for next Thursday,
February 21.  Hardy Alpha 5 will again use a "soft freeze" for main, as
described in previous announcements[2].  This means that developers are
asked to refrain from uploading packages between Tuesday and Thursday which
don't bring us closer to releasing the alpha, so that these days can be used
for settling the archive and fixing any remaining showstoppers.

The list of bugs targeted for alpha-5 can be found in a couple of different
places, according to your tastes:

  https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+milestone/hardy-alpha-5
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs?field.milestone%3Alist=951

This milestone is intended to be used for tracking bugs that must be fixed
in order for the alpha release to happen.  If you have doubts about whether
a bug should block the alpha, please err on the side of caution by using the
milestone for the bug so that the release team can review it.  Please also
consider helping with the bugs already listed there if you have the time.

The number of bugs blocking the alpha is expected to be relatively small, so
if you don't have any milestoned bugs assigned to you, please consider
helping with the list of bugs that are listed as release-critical for hardy
as a whole: <https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/hardy/+bugs>.  Again, please
use your best judgement with regard to the alpha freeze when uploading fixes
for these bugs.

Please also help us to get the archive in a consistent state again for the
alpha, as described on
<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuDevelopment/PackageArchive#Consistency>.

Finally, if you know of new features in Hardy that you think should be
highlighted for Alpha 5, let me or another member of the release team know
so that they can be added to the release notes at
<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardyHeron/Alpha5>.

Thanks,
-- 
Steve Langasek
On behalf of the Ubuntu release team

[1] https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-announce/2008-February/000377.html
[2] https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-announce/2008-January/000363.html