[Pkg-postgresql-public] postgresql 8.2 packaging

[Markus Wanner]

Hello Gerfried,

Gerfried Fuchs wrote:
>  This is what I wanted to raise, too. For a cleaner upgrade path I would
> suggest that for whatever version we want to have as default in squeeze
> release we also should have 8.3 still around at that time so that
> someone can do an upgrade to squeeze, install the new (propably 8.5?)
> packages and do the pg_upgradecluster.

Interesting. For how long do you think 8.3 should stay in squeeze? Are
you voting for providing minor releases (bugfixes) during that period?
How long do you want 8.3 to stay in squeeze?

If I understand correctly, you would also vote for having 8.1 around in
lenny for upgrades from etch, right?

I don't quite understand the intention, though. If you only want to have
it around for upgrades, you don't need 8.3 in squeeze at all. You just
migrate from the currently installed 8.3 from lenny to 8.5 from squeeze
and then use 8.5 bugfix releases, no?

>  Additionally, to have people and applications do the upgrade anyway and
> not stick with the old version having the old version drop the -dev
> package should do the trick (I'm not sure but I think that was done
> during lenny development cycle already?).

Yeah, the -dev packages don't carry the major release version in their
package name.

Also note that 8.1.16 is not any older than 8.3.6. And it's highly
probable that 8.1 it's still in productive use by more people than 8.3.

>> The Postgres project doesn't currently have a solution to the upgrade
>> problem (and instead offers pretty good long term support). So people
>> often use these well maintained major versions. Debian shouldn't prevent
>> users from doing it that way, IMO.
> 
>  Please don't start the same discussions over and over again.

Cédric asked, and I'm explaining the underlying problem. I'm sorry if
that's annoying you, but as long as Debian (or Postgres itself) doesn't
have a solution to this problem, I need to bring it up from time to
time, so you don't forget ;-)

> Debian
> doesn't prevent users from doing it that way at all, as you are the best
> example for that.

As stated by Martin and yourself, Debian wants to encourage people to
upgrade between major releases. It does so by not maintaining older
major releases of Postgres, thus not shipping security and other fixes,
which is crucial for productive use. That's what leads me to say that
Debian "prevents" users from doing it that way.

But let's stick to your above point, your vote for 8.3 being shipped
with squeeze. That's an interesting new turn to this discussion, at
least for me.

Regards

Markus Wanner