Re: rollback after software upgrade
Lennart,
> On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 02:45:27AM +0200, Michael wrote:
> > (i think you wanted to write "didn't" here ?)
> >
> > Wouldn't it be funny to ask developers for a downgrade converter :)
> >
> > It's an interesting question if there will be any 'standard' configuration syntax some day (maybe XML based?) and if up- and downgrades can convert them rather easily then, both hither and forth...
>
> XML does not help anything. It is just something that lets you store a
> tree of config in a flat text file. Nothing more. The meaning of the
> tree is still a problem. Anyone that thinks XML solves all config
> parsing problems and makes files underversal and supported clearly has
> no idea what XML is. That would make Microsoft very happy however.
>
> A downgrade quite simply requires a time machine. After all the
> developer has to write support for converting a future format into a
> current format when you downgrade. The new version has the ability to
> upgrade old versions to new, and that is of course tested. It does not
> have the ability to convert back (and to what version)? At least in
> debian packages, it is the package being installed that is responsible
> for any conversions, not the one being removed, so on a downgrade the
> newer package doesn't do the conversion, and it would be the only one
> that could know how to do it (although it would probably have very little
> testing, if it was done at all).
True.
It is not really about XML, it is about a standard for configurations and the file format is only a start, the real work starts beyond that,. But with not even that start...
Theoretically there could be an upgrade/downgrade manager which would be called by the new or the downgraded (to be removed) package. As is aid, it's a technical problem and as such it could be solved. It's just a huge effort. That's why one would start thinking of a solution, if at all, then only if it would apply to all packages, not only a few.
But hey this not a devel list and maybe my point is getting slightly off topic. Perhaps we should talk about real world solutions instead...for example, i would be interested if that system roll back works in M$, i've never tried it.
btw. I'm on this list :) no need for personal mail...
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