[Pkg-xen-devel] Freeze exception enquiry (Xen 4.12)

[Ian Jackson]

tl;dr: should we update buster to Xen 4.12 (currently, 4.12-RC2) ?

Hi.  I hope you will be able to answer this question before we prepare
a proposed updated package (and certainly without us uploading the
package to unstable, since we want to keep unstable for updates to
buster).

Xen upstream is currently in the 2nd week of the freeze for Xen 4.12.
sid/buster currently have 4.11.

Upstream quality in 4.12 seems reasonable (and comparable to that of
the Xen 4.11) we have.  It is very likely that Xen 4.12 will be
finally released well before Debian buster.

For stretch, we put a Xen 4.8 RC in before the Debian freeze, and
updated it to the 4.8 release later.  IIRC there was no need for a
formal exception.

For buster the timings are less favourable.  In particular, we would
need an exception from the transition freeze.  I don't anticipate any
difficulties with that - the upstream API has not really changed
significantly and there are not that many packages involved.

The principal upside would be an additional 6 months of upstream
security support.  Other improvements in Xen 4.12 include better
support for the new PVH guest mode; these and other improvements are
incremental rather than revolutionary.

Please could you advise whether this update is something you generally
favour ?  If so then we will prepare a suitable update and check that
the library transition is fine for all the the rdepends, and then
return with a formal freeze exception request.

We do not expect to need any significant changes to the packaging.  A
whole package debdiff is not likely to be very illuminating because
there will be a fair few upstream changes.

Regards,
Ian.

-- 
Ian Jackson <ijackson at chiark.greenend.org.uk>   These opinions are my own.

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