Should fast-evolving packages be backports-only?
It has been recently stated [0-1] that backports is enabled by default
in Jessie.
1. Does that mean that if pkgX is in jessie-backports but not jessie,
"apt-get install pkgX" will install it from -backports?
2. If so, when (if ever) is it appropriate to deliberately invoke that
behaviour by removing pkgX from jessie?
Possible candidates:
a. Packages that work closely with hardware, where old versions don't
work with new hardware (example: beignet)
b. Packages that implement fast-evolving file formats or network
protocols, where you need the same version as the people you are
communicating with (possible example: jscommunicator [2])
c. Packages that are generally rapidly improving, and are typically used
where this improvement is more important than stability
The advantage of doing so (over having both the old version in jessie
and the new one in jessie-backports) is that non-technical users (who
may not know that backports exists) get the new version they probably
want; the disadvantage is that users who explicitly want stability can
no longer choose it (except by pinning or using snapshot.debian.org,
which also block security updates of that package).
In the long run it may be a better idea to have these packages suggest
upgrading to -backports in their "this hardware/protocol version/option
not supported" error message, or on startup if there is no easy way to
identify attempts to use the newer features, but it is too late to do
this for jessie.
(Release team have already ruled that a. (#767961) and b. (#768933) are
not valid reasons for freeze exceptions; I guess this would also forbid
stable updates)
[0] https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2014/11/msg00339.html
[1] My own sources.list has
# jessie-backports, previously on backports.debian.org
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ jessie-backports main
but https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2014/09/msg01174.html reports
getting one with that line uncommented
[2] https://lists.debian.org/debian-release/2014/11/msg00866.html
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