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Re: Debian part of a version number when epoch is bumped



Michael Stone <mstone@debian.org> writes:
> On Wed, Feb 14, 2018 at 01:38:53PM -0800, Russ Allbery wrote:

>>> Another way to think of it is that the epoch should really be evaluated
>>> as part of the package name rather than the version string--it's
>>> basically a mechanism to avoid renaming a package for purely aesthetic
>>> reasons.

>> Well, it also has the function of getting rid of the old package and
>> being part of the normal upgrade path.  The latter is important.  If
>> the previous version had major data loss or security issues,
>> introducing a new package with a different name doesn't have the
>> semantics you want.

> Well, epochs don't magically do that either. :)

They certainly do?  Or I'm missing your point.  (To be clear, by "get rid
of the old package" I mean "from the active Debian archive," not from
everywhere it was ever installed.)

> What I can't think of is cases where it wouldn't work to have a new
> package plus a transition/cleanup package.

Yes, true, that also works.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>


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