In order for Node.js to stay competitive we need to work on the next generation of the platform which will more accurately integrate and reflect the advancements in the language and the ecosystem.
While this constitutes a great leap forward for the platform we will be making this leap without breaking backwards compatibility with the existing ecosystem of modules.
The goal of Node.js' effort is to build a healthy debugging and tracing ecosystem and not to try and build any "silver bullet" features for core (like the domains debacle).
In order to maintain a good release cadence without harming compatibility we must do a better job of understanding exactly what impact a particular change or release will have on the ecosystem. This requires new automation.
The initial goals for this automation are relatively simple but will create a baseline toolchain we can continue to improve upon.
* Produce a list of modules that no longer build between two release versions.
* Produce a list of modules that use a particular core API.
* Produce detailed code coverage data for the tests in core.
* Host and maintain registry endpoints (Homebrew, apt, etc).
* Document installation and upgrade procedures with an emphasis on using nvm or nave for development and our registry endpoints for traditional package managers and production.
