[Mageia-dev] epoch number [Was: version scheme blocks mgarepo submit]

[andre999]

Johnny A. Solbu a écrit :
> On Thursday 04 October 2012 10:56, EatDirt wrote:
>> adding an epoch number
>> (that can not be removed later)
>
> I'm sure I'm not the only one confused about this epoch thing, so I'll ask.
> What is an epoch? (I think I know it's function, but still)
>
> And why can it not be removed once instated? No, really, why?
>

It is like a more-than-major version, which allows
e.g. version 3.4 with epoch 1 to be treated as more recent than
  version 3.5 without epoch.
If epoch once defined is removed in subsequent versions,
these subsequent versions will be treated as older than any version with 
epoch defined, so once defined, epoch can't be removed (without changing 
the name of the package).
Epoch can be increased like other version numbers, if the need arises.

Evidently, if a package version error is caught early enough, the use of 
epoch can be avoided.

-- 
André