Re: Bug#293167: ITP: request-tracker3.4 -- Extensible trouble-ticket tracking system
On Wed, Feb 02, 2005 at 08:23:20AM +1100, Matthew Palmer wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 01, 2005 at 04:46:51PM +0000, Stephen Quinney wrote:
> >
> > The changes between major versions of Request Tracker are typically
> > substantial and one usually wants the opportunity to test an
> > installation of the new version alongside the old version. If a user
> > has made lots of local alterations (via RT's overlay system) they
> > probably won't work without being updated to the new API. This method
> > gives people a much easier upgrade path.
>
> The same could be said of a lot of packages in Debian. Why can't users do
> roughly the same thing as they do for every other application in Debian --
> test new releases of software separately before they go running around
> dumping them on production boxes?
I don't think most Debian packages positively encourage their users to
extend and modify the interface in the way that RT does. RT provides a
sophisticated system that allows easy modification of both the
functionality in Perl code and also the Mason/html templates for the
"look and feel". There is no way it would be possible to provide any
sort of automatic upgrade route from one major version to the next as
the API changes are usually extensive. Not everyone is in the
situation of having sufficient spare computers for doing testing every
time a new major version comes out. I am also aware of places where
people continue to want to run the old version in a supported
situation long after new versions have become available. It might even
be desirable to run old instances alongside new instances in the long
term, users don't always like having interface changes forced on
them. If Debian can make the lives of users as easy as possible when
it comes to major upgrades it seems sensible to me that we should
strive to do so.
Stephen Quinney
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