Re: [gpsd-dev] version number proliferation, - considered harmful

[Gary E. Miller]

Yo Greg!

On Thu, 20 Jun 2019 14:31:13 -0400
Greg Troxel <address@hidden> wrote:

> Two related issues:
> 
>   The current version is 3.19-dev.  While I as a human parse that,
>   packaging systems form package names that look like gpsd-3.19-dev.

yes.  gpsd has gone back and forth.

>   The problem is that other packages think - is an ok character to use
>   in the package name.  And hence a packaging system that attempts to
>   guess ends up in a mess.   This is a messy problem; ideally both
>   package names and versions would not be allowed to contain -.

Any -dev or !dev is NOT for use by any packager.  So not a problem for
any packager.  If it breaks pacakes, that is a good thing.

>   The version number appears in 19 files in git.  It should be read at
>   build time from one place.

Yup.  Wanna submit a patch for that?  People have wanted that for
a long time.  No one wants to do the work.

> To make it easier for people to 'make dist' and test packaging, I'd
> like to cahnge the version to something less problematic but
> semantically equivalent.

Possibly.  A bit late for that this rev.

> Options are:
> 
>   3.19~dev (which I am 99% sure gpsd used to do)

You mean replace the minus with a tilda?  That could work.

>   3.18.70 (which aligns with very longstanding GNU notions that .80
> and .90 are for alpha and beta leading up to the next release, so
> that the version numbers even of those sort correctly.

Except that does not match our use case and violates exiting practice.

It is alos not the way GNU does it in git.

> While I'm a fan of the second option, I suspect not many other people
> are.

>   anybody else in favor of the second option?

No.  revs are for tar balls.  We are not to tar ball stage yet.

>   if not, any reason not to use ~ instead of -, to avoid the overused
> -?

works for me.
 
> If I hear nothing, I'll change to ~ after a while.

Works for me.  Please document it.

RGDS
GARY
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Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97703
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