[Fedora-packaging] [Vote] Multiple version naming overly restrictive

[Stephen John Smoogen]

On 7/3/07, Toshio Kuratomi <a.badger at gmail.com> wrote:
> We didn't have quorum in the Fedora Packaging Meeting but we did discuss
> the proposal[1]_ to relax the guidelines for packages with multiple
> versions.  After some discussion it was decided that restricting the
> maintainer too much is not desirable.  Some points:
>
> * Guideline was written in the present manner to avoid confusion
> * Using compat-* as a namespace for all less than current libraries has
> the following disadvantages over [name][version]:
>   * cvs history won't follow the compat-* even though it is arguably
> closer to the original package than the upgraded one.
>   * BuildRequires would have to be changed between branches to
> accommodate the compat-* on the newer branch.
>
> I'd like to have votes on relaxing the guidelines as follows:
>
> '''
> For many reasons, it is sometimes advantageous to keep multiple versions
> of a package in Fedora to be installed simultaneously. When doing so,
> the package name should reflect this fact. One package should use the
> base name with no versions and all other addons should note their
> version in the name.
> '''
>
> This gives the maintainer the leeway to choose whether the package is
> best served by having the latest version carry the unadorned name
> forward or the previous version.

So I can see this in my head... this would be like

python15
python20
python22
python23
python24
python

for something like say EPEL where you might need to have
python23/24/30 installed on a system for an app to work since the
shipped version is 22. I would say that there would need to be a
standardization of how these older items should/would be packaged up
so that people do not accidently run one when the other was wanted.

Or is this meaning something else?


-- 
Stephen J Smoogen. -- CSIRT/Linux System Administrator
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed
in a naughty world. = Shakespeare. "The Merchant of Venice"