Re: Version Updating Question
This is in response to the whole thread, not just this single message
This is something I suspected would happen but since I'm new to Debian I
figured you guys had it all worked out. I guess I should have said
something sooner. The solution is pretty simple, though fairly
revolutionary. Limit the version field to specifically describing what
version of software is inside the package. For example, a packaged
labeled GrowWings is marked as version 3.3rc2 that means the developer
of the software itself has released the software as 3.3rc2. However
when the Debian developer packages the program and submits it, it is
marked with a field named package version or something like that. So
lets say the developer builds the package to work with woody and submits
it. The version will be 3.3rc2, and the package version will be a
simple integer 1 (or use any system to number packages, however the
system must be consistent and have a strict set of rules). If the
developer then rebuilds the package to work with sarge, it has the same
version number, but a new package version number (eg 2). In fact, lets
take this a step further. Lets say the programmers for GrowWings
release a version 4.0 but continue patching and rereleasing 3.3 as
3.4b/c the two are so radically different. Now lets say the debian
developer wants to package both versions. (Assuming the developer only
made one version, for woody, ignoring the example with sarge) the
developer creates two new packages. One is version 3.4 with the package
version 1.1. The other is version 4.0 with package version 2.0. The
Debian user can then specify "give me the latest version of the 1.0
tree" or "give me the latest version, regardless which branch it is".
This is somewhat similar to the approach Gentoo uses with programs like
Freetype where different versions conflict with each other. This way
the version number can be used for the user to identify what version he
has on his system, and the package version can be used by the debian
internal system to properly identify packages.
There is another simpler approach and that is to create scrict
guidelines for numbering package versions in the first place.
Ultimately I think this method would be harder to implement as getting
the entire linux world to use a strict set of guidelines to numbering
program versions defeats the puprose of the open source movement.
PS I'm not on this mailing list, I only saw this thread posted on the
Debian Weekly Newsletter. If you have something significant to add,
please CC my email address.
Mark wrote:
Hi All,
I'm updating the docbook-simple package from V1.0cr2 to V1.0. Since
1.0cr2 > 1.0, I'm not sure how to handle the situation.
Policy & the Developers Reference imply that I upload V1.0 and file a
bug against ftp.debian.org to have V1.0CR2 removed from the
archive. This seems like an odd way to do it.
Also, I'd rather not give V1.0 a version like 1.0really - unless I
'really' have to:)
Any help on this would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Mark
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