Re: Updating scanners and filters in Debian stable (3.1)
Matthew Garrett <mgarrett@chiark.greenend.org.uk> writes:
> Solution a: Newer versions of Mozilla are introduced. Functional
> regressions are possible. However, admins have the choice of setting
> Mozilla's status to hold. In the worst case, this solution can be made
> equivilent to the current situation.
The problem here is that there are a *lot* of packages that depend on
mozilla. You have to get all the other browser maintainers onboard,
and ready to compile together. Mozilla is always changing interfaces
in weird tricky ways, and upword compatibility never happens.
> Solution b: Security fixes are backported to Mozilla. The size of the
> codebase may make this impractical, and functional regressions are still
> possible. However, admins have the choice of setting Mozilla's status to
> hold. In the worst case, this solution can be made equivilent to the
> current situation.
This requires the Debian mozilla maintainers to actually make security
patches. If they would do so, instead of screaming "it's too hard",
then the problem would be solved.
But I don't have any idea how hard it is: maybe it really is too
hard.
> Perhaps the real problem here is that we seem to be unwilling to have a
> public policy of some packages being more important than others. Letting
> Mozilla get updated in stable might result in people wanting other
> programs to be updated.
Like galeon? And that sometimes might require a gnome upgrade too.
Are you willing to tackle that?
Thomas
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