Well, I think as a standalone event it is an interesting idea.
However to connect to present GSOC’s anticipated outcomes … it may be a bit boldly outrun of the possible end results.
Ok, I don’t wanna be pessimistic, and we have actually recurring participants with well enough knowledge and experience both development and with Haiku.
For whom who red more earlier GSOC development reports - for them not unknown the participant cannot reach the final goal as they met with an issue that they cannot resolve and run out for their planned schedule.
Or they finished, but to be usable for Haiku user - or integrate into Haiku - needs further activities which generally ordered at the end of their project , with classical sentences … “and if I have time for that …” “finally if I still have time before GSOC period ends…”
I think it is quite normal.
Participants got several things what they could gain during their project - in OS/app/service/driver development with guiding/ mentoring help from Haiku devs.
So they can gain experience in collaboration, co-operation, knowledge,
how to schedule the work, prioritize (even if they makes it wrong at first time) , possible tooling of development , debugging , fixing, etc. regarding technikal skills.
Also they can get : self -confidence – “I could do it!” “It works”
Haiku project also benefits, as there is an outcome which remains, even if it is not fully completed :
the source code…
That is(will be) available to further complete/finish/polish activities by other GSOC student or a Haiku developer – or a new contributor even … as we had seen in the past.
Like , for example,
→ XFS filesystem for Haiku ( GSoC 2018: XFS support , GSoC 2020: XFS File System , GSoC 2021: XFS support progress update , GSoC 2022: XFS )
→ BT stack ( GSOC 2007 Bluetooth + Haikuware Bounty 2008 )
→ Haiku on ARM (GSOC 2014 ARM PORT )
These comes from GSOC projects, and now still developed too … by new contributors, Haiku devs or even waddlesplash, the project’s paid developer, in case BT stack.
So, this Autumn Install sounds good, but not in direct connection with GSOC outcomes - they can arrive in Haiku or not … depending on their status and first possibly on nightlies.
I assume, more of us - who use Haiku as a daily driver -, more important to use it safely than to have all the fancy stuffs and fixes we can get with a new Beta only. Of course , except for those who has more Haiku instances, and at least one on nightly or accept the risks what can happen (some sh¤t) on nightlies … after an I-get-to-my-heart-what’s-not-why-not-working-again update ;-j