Re: version number when packaging a new upstream release

[Adrian Bunk <bunk@stusta.de>]

On Thu, Oct 06, 2016 at 11:53:58AM +0200, Raphael Hertzog wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On Mon, 03 Oct 2016, Adrian Bunk wrote:
> > > I'd suggest to use 6:0.8.18-1+deb7u3 because it's the third update of
> > > that package within Debian 7.
> > 
> > The version number should not depend on whether 0.8.18 was ever
> > in unstable.
> 
> Where do you get that rule from?
>...

I gave the a rationale in the following paragraph:

  In the general case it is even possible that the package was removed
  from unstable, but later someone ITPs 6:0.8.18-1 into unstable. At that
  point the version in oldstable would be higher than the version in
  unstable.


Another rationale I gave in the email you were replying to:

  Precedents in DSAs also suggests -0+deb7u1
  http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3624
  http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3666


> That's why I consider that anytime that we will not have any conflict
> we should just use "<upstream>-1" and if we fear that the same upstream
> version will be used in multiple releases (for example if wheezy/jessie
> have the same upstream version), then we add the required "simili-backport
> suffix" making it "<upstream>-1~deb7u1".
>
> But it's also fine if we want to use -1~deb7u1 directly just to show that
> this is an oldstable update.


It is beneficial when you can see from the version number what a package is:
  -1          - original -1 package, not modified by any updates to stable
  -0.1        - original -0.1 package, not modified by any updates to stable
  -1+deb7u1   - first update to the -1 package in Debian 7
  -0.1+deb7u1 - first update to the -0.1 package in Debian 7
  -1~deb7u1   - backport[1] of the -1 package to Debian 7
  -0.1~deb7u1 - backport of the -0.1 package to Debian 7
  -0+deb7u1   - none of the above, not based directly on a version of 
                the package that was ever in unstable


-0+deb7u1 follows precedent in DSAs,
and does not make the package look like something else.

Do you have any rationale why you think -1~deb7u1 would be better
than -0+deb7u1?

I do not claim that this is a very significant difference,
but I just don't see any reason for not using -0+deb7u1


cu
Adrian

[1] not limited to normal backports, DSAs also use this versioning
    for packages like Firefox and Chromium

-- 

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        of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
       "Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                       Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed