[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: upstream + two distro packages => dependency problems



Hi Felix,

On 02.06.2013 16:46, Felix Natter wrote:
> hi,
> 
> Freeplane depends on a number of libraries [1], and I guess the usual
> process for updating the package in case of an incompatible library
> upgrade, is to fix it upstream and include a patch until the package
> is updated to this upstream version.
> 
> However, problems arise if there are packages for more than distro for
> upstream. e.g. Freeplane has packages for Debian and Mageia Linux and
> libjgoodies-forms-java has version 1.6 in Debian and version 1.4 in
> Mageia. 
> Since it's difficult for my colleague to update the jgoodies-forms
> package in Mageia, I am currently maintaining my own patch for 1.6
> indefinitely...
> 

I maintain mediathekview which was also affected by the latest upgrade
to version 1.6 because of the class renaming from FormFactory to
FormSpecs. [1]

I am in the happy position that my patch got accepted rather quickly by
upstream. Strange as it may seem i think you also need to convince your
upstream to accept your patch in the long run. I can guess the issues
your colleague from Mageia is facing at the moment but sooner or later
he and freeplane have to upgrade libjgoodies-forms-java to a newer
version. The latest release is even version 1.7.

In the current situation i would continue to maintain your patch and
don't forget to add a versioned dependency on libjgoodies-forms-java
1.6. ( i had never forgotten that ;-) )

However i agree with you that it would have been better if someone had
checked if the new release causes any issues with its reverse
dependencies. There are only eight of them right now.


Reverse Depends:
  icegrid-gui
  mediathekview
  libmac-widgets-java
  libjgoodies-forms-java-doc
  jabref
  freeplane
  freemind
  biomaj

Indeed the changelog of libjgoodies-forms-java states the changes but
even forgets to mention that 1.6 also depends on libjgoodies-common-java
1.4 now. Given these facts i suggest to double-check new releases of
libjgoodies-forms-java and to inform all reverse dependencies
beforehand. This should mitigate our problems but in the end you need to
convince upstream to upgrade to a new release of libjgoodies-forms-java
though.

Regards,

Markus

[1] http://bugs.debian.org/706925


Attachment: signature.asc
Description: OpenPGP digital signature


Reply to: