V24.1 staging branch scheduled for Nov 6th; release on Nov 22nd

[BobbyRBruce]

In order to release v24.1 of gem5 on November 22nd, we are planning to create the v24.1 staging branch on November 6th (next Wednesday). As a reminder of our release procedures, the staging branch is created from the gem5 develop branch two weeks before a gem5 release. This two-week period allows us to thoroughly test this branch and fix any issues as needed to ensure it meets the community's requirements and expectations. Then, to officially release, the staging branch is merged into the stable branch.

As with all other releases, we try to avoid accepting changes to the staging branch outside of bug fixes and changes we can say with high confidence won’t introduce errors. Given this, if you wish for a change to be part of the v24.1 release, please ensure it is merged into develop before November 6th. We are actively working to clear the PR review backlog and will ensure that those willing to address reviewer comments and make the necessary changes promptly will be merged on time.

Please feel free to reach out if you require any assistance.

[BobbyRBruce]

See #1774 for update on this