Re: [HACKERS] Re: [PORTS] RedHat6.0 & Alpha

Okay, let me get this straight...v6.5 was in beta for, what, 2 months?
And it isn't until *after* v6.5.1 is released that the Alpha guys realized
that "oops, it doesn't work"?  And they have a patch that amounts to ~1/2
the size of the current distribution to get this to work?

*rofl*

The stable branch is meant to allow *minor* changes to go into it, and, if
there are enough, to generate a new *stable* distribution.  Minor changes
are "we put && instead of || in an if statement that only shows up #ifdef
<feature> is enabled"...or even where a bug is fixed that is based on us
missing an error check that adds a few lines of code.

I have no problems with building a v6.5.2, or .3, or .4, if required...but
a 3.5MB diff does not constitute a 'minor bug fix' and should be merged
into v6.6 only...

On Fri, 30 Jul 1999, Thomas Lockhart wrote:

> > > IMHO a 6.5.2 release with all of the necessary alpha patches
> > > already in the distribution source tree is a much cleaner, clearer
> > > solution, for distribution packagers, average users, and
> > > compile-it-yourself-people.
> > I think he was going to generate a 6.5.2 by back-patching, not
> > distributing a new patch to make 6.5.2.
>
> Yup.
>
> OK, I'm trying to do this to help the Alpha folks, in such a way that
> it helps the Alpha-linux-RH folks to get RPMs also. Having a 6.5.2
> which does not run on Intel or Sparc does not help. Having a 6.5.2
> which has diverged from the 6.5.x tree in unknown ways does not help.
> Having us decide by consensus the appropriate model for s/w
> development (main tree with changes progressing to a full release,
> branch tree to carry maintenance changes) and then at the first
> opportunity step away from that seems counterproductive in the
> extreme. We ran into this same discussion during v6.4.x, and we're
> doing it again.
>
> If y'all can't maintain two branches, then let's stop doing it. otoh,
> we can't do maintenance releases without a stable branch, so we'd
> better think about it before giving up.
>
> I've offered to help, much more than I should bother with. I'll leave
> it to other Alpha stakeholders to decide what they want. I should
> point out that I offered to our RedHat contacts to try to marshall an
> Alpha-ready build, but so far it's like herding cats.
>
> And *really*, if we have 3.5MB of diffs, who are we kidding about
> knowing where they all came from and what they are doing? Backpatching
> or developing patches on a clean 6.5.1 release is the only thing to do
> for a 6.5.2. Otherwise, call it 6.6-prealpha and we'll wait 4 months
> for RPMs.
>
> My $0.03 ;)
>
>                      - Thomas
>
> --
> Thomas Lockhart                lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu
> South Pasadena, California
>

Marc G. Fournier                   ICQ#7615664               IRC Nick: Scrappy
Systems Administrator @ hub.org
primary: scrappy@hub.org           secondary: scrappy@{freebsd|postgresql}.org