[maemo-developers] Getting package with lower version into extras-testing

[From: Tim Teulings]

Hello!

> Exactly. If I upload e.g. 0.5.6 (stable) to extras-devel where there is
> already 0.6.0-alpha9 (unstable) the users still will get the unstable
> version which is exactly what I want. In fact I don´t need to have the
> stable version in extras-devel at all, but I have to put it there first
> to be able to promote it to extras-testing.

Correct. Currently to get to extras and extras testing you must for upload
to extras-devel.

> I never said I want to put buggy software into extras-testing. I want to
> put stable software into extras-testing!

OK. Does not change anything in the context of the discussion.
 
> I think extras-devel is exactly for that. It´s the first step for a new
> package. So unstable packages should go there.

Right.

> Now, once my 0.6-alphaX version will reach let´s say 0.6.0 and I
> consider it stable, then I´ll promote it to extras-testing. There it
> will replace the 0.5.x versions and testers can test it. Once they think
> it´s stable, I´ll promote it to extras where it also will replace the
> 0.5.x versions.

[...]
 
> In this way there is only on package and the users decides which version
> he wants. If he has enabled extras-devel he´ll get the unstable version,
> if he has enabled extras-testing he´ll get the testing version, and so
> on.

All well thoughtout, but one problem: If you later on find a bug in 0.5.x
and you will upload 0.5.y (where y>x) to get that fix into testing, at
least in extras-devel nobody will be able to download it, because the
application manager wil never show it. It will only and always show
0.6-alphaX. And if you have 0.6.0 in extras-testing (where it possibly
stays for lets say one month) and in the mean time you promote your 0.5.y
fix (because it works), no tester will see it in the application manager
either (they will only see 0.6.0). They all would need to download and
install it manually to the device (and you have to support this downgrading
in your packages).

Btw., IMHO direct uploads to extras-testing for bug fixes will not fix this
(likely suggestion to solve this).

> I will go that way if it´s the way to go, but I would like to understand
> why my way is wrong. I think it makes more sense to have only one
[...]
> Sorry to be so persistent, but I still don´t understand why I should
> have two packages.

No problem. Is it clearer now?

-- 
Gruß...
    Tim