Symbols files for C++ libraries for Ubuntu main

Matthias Klose doko at ubuntu.com
Fri May 18 18:47:04 UTC 2018


On 18.05.2018 14:13, Robie Basak wrote:
> I understand the general advantage of having symbols files. But in the
> specific case of C++ packages where upstream and Debian aren't caring
> for the symbols files, the public symbols aren't particularly well
> defined and we're maintaining a symbols file in Ubuntu as a delta, I
> question whether it's actually useful for us to do so. In practice, if
> all that happens is that when new symbols appear we throw them into the
> symbols file without much thinking (because the symbols/ABI are
> inpenetrable even after being decoded), then what are we gaining from
> doing this?

please see my reply to the top level posting.

> I'm sure someone will say "well, think harder", but I think that
> pragmatically we need to look at we're doing in practice.

this is a dangerous way to go.  If everybody gets sloppy and doesn't respect
anything, where do we go?  I'm probably known myself for my "pragmatism", but I
think there is some point where practice and policies diverge too much.  If we
think that policies need adjustments, we should document these, but silently
changing policies will cost us credibility.

Matthias



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