[Mageia-dev] Backports policy clarification (and discussion)

[blind Pete]

Samuel Verschelde wrote:

> I re-read the backports policy, and there's a part I think needs to be
> pointed out before people start to backport packages.

I haven't, so if I get things badly wrong don't hesitate to tell me.  

> "We need to ensure that upgrades never fail: cauldron must always have a
> higher version/release than in stable releases."
> 
> This statement is true, but implies more than what it says. It means that
> we can't backport a package for Mageia 1 with a higher version than what
> we have in Mageia 2 release (and updates?) media. And this, until we are
> able to take backports into account during upgrades.
> 
> Example :
> - Mageia 2 has wesnoth 1.10.2 in core/release
> - Mageia 1 can't get a higher version in its backports media
> 
> Do you all agree with my understanding of the policy ?

No.  Well assuming that the backports policy is sane, then no.  

- Mageia 1 can not get a higher version into _updates_ until 
the new version (or an even higher one) has made its way into 
Mageia 2 _updates_.  

- Mageia 1 can not get a higher version into _backports_ until 
the new version (or an even higher one) has made its way into 
Mageia 2 _backports_.  

> This is a serious limitation to our ability to backport to Mageia (n-1)
> and even to our ability to provide security fixes to backports there (will
> not prevent it, but will prevent to do it by a version upgrade, which is
> the common way to fix that kind of issue in backports).

I don't see it.  

Most backports will have a version not higher than the which  
is provided by the next release and so will just not be a problem.  

Even in the *very* strange situation that the back ported package has a 
version number that is higher than that of the next release it is 
workable, all that is needed is the requirement that backports are 
not made available to release N before they are made available to 
release N+1 (Cauldron counts as a release) and that backport media 
be available at upgrade time.  

> Maybe we shouldn't open backports for Mageia 1, and make sure upgrade to
> Mageia 3 can take backports from Mageia 2 into account so that backports
> to Mageia 2 are not stopped when Mageia 3 is released. Then we'll be safe.
> 
> Samuel

Extreme hypothetical example:  

Cauldron Core has long term support FF 29 and Cauldron Backports 
has this week's official release of FF 41.  

Mageia 5 gets released with Core and Core Backports.  Sensible 
users get the long term support version.  Insane fools who are 
trying to use the notoriously broken FF 35 get FF 41 (which is 
broken in a different way).  

-- 
blind Pete
Sig goes here...