Split-off package config from release note packages

[Patrick Barnes]

On Friday 31 March 2006 11:34, Demond James <dnjinc at wowway.com> wrote:
> Axel Thimm wrote:
> > But then hell breaks loose and people accuse JoeBob of forking fedora,
> > when all he wanted to do is either provide decent mirrors (local or
> > not) for his users or additional repos. Having to replace
> > fedora-release to do that results in for example:
> >
> > http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/JohnMahowald/ATrpmsWarning
>
> What would help stop the propaganda Axel is descriptions of the changes
> that were made to these core packages.  As it stands now I do not want
> to replace the core packages with your packages simply because I don't
> now what changes you made.  Let me decided if I want that added
> feature.  Other than that great job and great repo.   Thank you!
>

When you start changing packages from Core, it really is a fork by definition.  
Replacing Core packages is not and will never be considered a good or safe 
practice, and will never be supported by the Fedora Project.  I'm not saying 
that providing alternative packages is a bad thing, but you must clearly tell 
users what they are getting.  If you don't, then someone else has every right 
to try, as John did.  As soon as you change one package from Core, the system 
isn't Fedora Core anymore, even if it is highly compatible.  This is why the 
Trademark Guidelines are so restrictive about changing systems and continuing 
to call them Fedora Core.  Providing alternatives to Core packages isn't 
providing a third-party mirror or repository, it is providing an 
*alternative* repository, and it is beyond the scope of the Fedora Project to 
support that or make it easier in any way.

The fedora-release package is the single package that defines the installed 
release.  Any file that is unique and critical to a particular release is not 
out of place in that package.  The repository configurations are arguably 
release-agnostic, and could be reasonably split into a different package, but 
only for reasons of maintainability.  If you want to change the existing 
files, tell users and give them the option.  If you want to add new 
repositories, provide a separate package.

-- 
Patrick "The N-Man" Barnes
nman64 at n-man.com

http://www.n-man.com/

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