x/build: decide what Windows ARM64 version to release 1.18 with

[heschi]

We now have Windows 10 and 11 running on ARM64. Decide which version to build the 1.18 release on.

In favor of Windows 10: building on an older version effectively guarantees backward compatibility with that version. In favor of 11: we have very limited resources to run Windows ARM64 and we can't get rid of the 10 builders until we've stopped using them for releases.

[heschi]

cc @golang/release

[beoran]

From a user point of view I would prefer Windows 10. In many settings upgrading to Windows 11 is not easy.

[heschi]

We're not considering dropping support for Windows 10; we're trying to decide whether to build the release on 10 or 11, assuming that both will produce 10-compatible binaries.

[beoran]

Fair enough, but is that assumption true?

[bcmills]

we have very limited resources to run Windows ARM64 and we can't get rid of the 10 builders until we've stopped using them for releases.

If we're not dropping support for Windows 10, then it seems to me that we also shouldn't drop the builders for it. If we're supporting a range of versions, I would think that we would get the most value from testing against the newest and oldest versions in that range.

(It's unfortunate that the builders are so resource-limited, but if we can't afford to run a builder for the older version at all then we probably shouldn't be claiming to support it either.)

[dmitshur]

If we're not dropping support for Windows 10, then it seems to me that we also shouldn't drop the builders for it.

This is generally true, resources permitting.

My understanding of the trade-off being considered in this issue is when the builder stops being needed in the future, whether it can be dropped right away or after a year (while it's still used by older Go releases). To expand:

• If a Windows 11 builder is used for releases, when Windows 10 stops being supported, its builder can be dropped right away.
• If a Windows 10 builder is used for releases, when Windows 10 stops being supported, then we either need to wait for 2 more releases (1 year) to come out before we can drop the builder, or need to modify the major Windows version of the builder used for releases during a minor Go release.

[bcmills]

Hmm, I think I understand that reasoning.

Technically we should probably keep running a Windows 10 builder for the development branches that support it even if it isn't being used to cut the release, but the risk of a version-specific regression on a development branch seems low, so a high cost of keeping the builder running might merit a faster turndown at that point.

[heschi]

There's also a risk that the Windows 10 builder will self-destruct, and since Microsoft is not producing new versions of Windows 10 ARM64 we may not be able to replace it.

[alexbrainman]

Just FYI.

Notes of a Windows user. Not an average user, but still.

I have not seen any Windows ARM64 PC yet.

I have not seen any Windows 11 PC yet.

Majority of users use Windows 10.

I use Windows 7. Because some of my users also use Windows 7, and I want to feel their pain. My Windows 7 still gets regular updates from Microsoft (every few weeks).

Windows 10 have special page that displays if your computer is good enough to upgrade to Windows 11. I suspect majority of PCs cannot be upgraded. Even latest versions of Windows 10 are unusable if you don't have SSD disk.

There are different versions of Windows 10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Updates_and_support

My Windows 10 gets upgraded regularly - every few months. Microsoft are pretty forceful about upgrading my Windows 10.

I always wandered how our Windows builders gets upgraded. I suspect they never gets upgraded, because upgrading involves manual button clicking and restarting OS. If that is the case, we should upgrade our builders somehow. I am certain Google cloud offers up to date OS images as time goes, but we don't take this path. Our Windows builder OS images are built from predefined old Google cloud images. Perhaps we should rebuild and redeploy these images regularly. These upgrades are more important than Windows 10 vs Windows 11 debate.

I also wonder if our Windows builder images can be pre-configured to remove more programs, to give more CPU / memory / IO to useful work. Disabling antivirus software gives most benefit for me.

Alex

[heschi]

@alexbrainman Thanks for the notes. I don't understand what they have to do with how to decide what version of Windows ARM64 to use. There was never a version of Windows 7 for ARM64, and my understanding is that Windows 10 for AM64 is no longer maintained unless you pay for Windows IOT LTSC. If you want there to be a particular decision about which version to use, I don't understand what it is. If you want something happen for the AMD64 or 386 Windows builders, please file a new issue.

[alexbrainman]

I don't understand what they have to do with how to decide what version of Windows ARM64 to use.

I just dumped my brain here. Sorry for hijacking the issue. Feel free to ignore my notes.

But IMHO there are very few users of Windows ARM64. So it does not matter what type of builder you will have. As long as the builder passes all tests, that should be good enough.

There was never a version of Windows 7 for ARM64, and my understanding is that Windows 10 for AM64 is no longer maintained unless you pay for Windows IOT LTSC. If you want there to be a particular decision about which version to use, I don't understand what it is.

Like I said above, I have 0 knowledge of Windows ARM64 history and current use. So I would defer to whatever decision you will make.

If you want something happen for the AMD64 or 386 Windows builders, please file a new issue.

None of the issues I mentioned affect me. It is Go team hardware and test environment. So I will let you decide how to run the hardware and what versions of Windows to test.

Alex

[heschi]

We've decided to try Windows 11 for RC1. If it causes trouble we can change our mind for the final release.

[gopherbot]

Change https://go.dev/cl/385714 mentions this issue: cmd/release: build 1.18 windows-arm64 on Windows 11