[maemo-developers] Repositories mess: conclusions and actions

[From: Graham Cobb]

On Monday 12 November 2007 12:40:42 Ed Bartosh wrote:
> In this case I'd suggest to put both libraries to extras-devel and
> tested for upgradeability together with applications. If some issues
> will be found bug will be failed and hopefully fixed. Fixed library will
> be uploaded to extras-devel and later to extras. Case solved.
> I understand that this wouldn't work in 100% cases. But it's better than
> force developers to build against old libraries. New libraries usually
> bring not only bugs but also useful fixes and it might be that some
> applications can't go to extras if they don't use new libraries.

So, I think that what you are suggesting is that Nokia effectively "Beta test" 
the new release using extras-devel (or maybe some other repos specifically 
for the task) so that developers can rebuild and test that installing their 
applications don't cause the sort of problem I have described.
That would probably be an effective compromise that would give the advantages 
of bringing the latest libraries into use as quickly as possible while 
minimising risk.  I like that solution, if Nokia agrees.

From a strict support point of view, of course, anyone who installs an 
application from extras and finds it breaks a Nokia application is on their 
own anyway.  But it would be good to minimise the risk of such problems, 
particularly with applications installed from the extras repos.

Graham