Re: so what? Re: Debian development modem

[Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>]

Jim writes ("Re: so what? Re: Debian development modem "):
> ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk said:
> > We must decouple our development tracks much more.  I propose that we
> > resolve never again to plan a release with is not fully backward
> > compatible with the current stable version. 
> 
> I like this idea most of the time... but there are times when you
> just have to make a clean break. Going between libc versions was one
> of those times, as was going from a.out to elf. Otherwise, what are
> major number changes for?

This is simply not true.  When we moved from a.out to ELF both systems
were fully backward- and forward- compatible.  a.out and ELF systems
could run both a.out and ELF binaries (provided you installed the
right compatibility packages), and you could compile both a.out and
ELF binaries on either.

I think in particular that we should require that there be a set of
packages you can install that will allow you to build packages both
for the `new' system and the `old' system (perhaps with a magic rune
to say which, if they are that radically different).

Ian.


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