Re: docbook-xsl: why only one version ?

[Jerome BENOIT <g6299304p@rezozer.net>]

Hello Paul,

thanks for your reply.

On 02/06/13 08:57, Paul Gevers wrote:
> Hi Jerome,
> 
> On 02-06-13 06:30, Jerome BENOIT wrote:
>> I have to deal with docbook-xsl for one of my package.
>> I am not familiar with docbook-xsl stuff, so my question may sound naive.
>> It appears that the upstream stuff play with docbook-xsl version 1.75.2 ,
>> but not 1.76.1 : only the last one is available on Wheezy, so why only one
>> version is made available ? 
> 
> If we would keep all versions of all packages we ever had, our
> infrastructure would blow up,

I understand this part of the story.



 and also users wouldn't like the
> additional overhead.

But the final user is free to install, to uninstall and to purge.


 Usually you don't gain much by keeping old
> versions,

I am agree, but docbook-xsl does not seem a usual package in that matter:
keeping different version looks to be in its gene, so to speak,
as a `catalog' is maintained to deal easily with different versions.
In fact, the `catalog' part seems very important: does a `catalog'
with only one choice make sense ?
Second, different version of some packages with no `catalog' feature
already coexist in Debian: python, gcc, and certainly others.


 although we do have snapshot [1] for individual use.

My concern is not about keeping old versions of the packages but rather
of keeping a small set of still used version of docbook-xsl data: I guess
that [1] is rather meant to keep a trace of the past, what is very good
by the way.

> 
> So my guess is that you will have to patch your package (please send the
> patch upstream)

it is unlikely that the upstream team wants to (as it is non-free software).

 and use the latest version in sid (that is where you are
> building for). By the way, the version in Wheezy is nearly irrelevant
> for your software development, so you should work to get 1.78.1 working.

Thanks I have noticed. I have also observed that the code in the docbook-xsl
metadata (or whatever) does not seem as stable as a C standard, hence certainly
the `catalog' feature. 

In short, the initial question may be rephrase:
what there is no `catalog' policy for docbook-xsl on Debian ?


> 
> Paul

Jerome

> 
> [1] http://snapshot.debian.org/
>