Re: Question about splitting a source package with an epoch
On 2025-05-16 Nicholas D Steeves <sten@debian.org> wrote:
> Soren Stoutner <soren@debian.org> writes:
>> On Thursday, May 15, 2025 3:56:50 PM Mountain Standard Time Nicholas D Steeves
>> wrote:
>>> "adjusting" the epoch also requires discussion, and consensus, on -devel
>> As far as I know, nobody is proposing adding or adjusting any epochs.
>> All of these binary packages are going to end up with the same epochs
>> they already have.
> Do you disagree with the following?: You're creating two new source
> packages that have to pass the NEW queue, you're adding epochs to them,
> and your rationale appears to be thus: Because the old multiple-upstream
> source package has an epoch, therefore both NEW source packages should
> have an epoch.
> There's nothing in dsdt-policy about source package naming.
> Yes, the NEW binary packages need to provide a greater version than the
> old ones, because otherwise upgrades won't occur; No one is saying they
> don't need to.
[...]
>> As much as I would like to get rid of the epochs, I don’t see any way to do
>> so.
> Here's how: Use accurate upstream versions in two NEW source packages.
> Their binary packages gain versioned Provides [and Breaks and Replaces,
> if appropriate]. In two Debian releases (forky+1), you can you drop the
> Breaks, Replaces, and Provides. Thus, packages without epochs replace
> the packages with epochs, and a pox on the archive is removed.
[...]
You seem to propose:
status quo: foo-binary: 2:1.2.3-1
trixie: foo-binary: 1.2.4-1/Provides: foo-binary (=2:1.2.4-1)
forky: foo-binary: 1.2.4-1/Provides: foo-binary (=2:1.2.4-1)
forky+1: foo-binary: 1.2.4-1 without provides
That is too fragile, it will break (by downgrading) on an old entry in
sources list or a local repo.
More generally I also do not think the net-win justifies the work and
risk. epochs are not aestically pleasing but we are used to dealing with
them. I think the huge win of Stouter's plan is to get rid of different
versions for source and binary packages, that is something we rarely do
(compared to epochs).
cu Andreas
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`What a good friend you are to him, Dr. Maturin. His other friends are
so grateful to you.'
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