Version string to auto-sync an Ubuntu delta (maysync1 vs ~willsync1)

[Dimitri John Ledkov]

In the past, when we did uploads into Ubuntu that we want to autosync,
we simply used `+bN` as those are bigger than last debian source
version, and get autosynced.

It is a slight misnomer, as it is Debian's binNMU version number, but
that also means none of debian's source versions may ever use that
version, and the next debian upload is guaranteed to get autosynced.

I.e. we have often uploaded snapshots of debian's packaging VCS into
ubuntu as `+bN` given strong expectations that next debian upload will
include all of those changes.

-- 
okurrr,

Dimitri

On Wed, 25 May 2022 at 10:44, Lukas Märdian <slyon at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all!
>
> We had an interesting discussion with @enr0n and @brian-murray recently,
> about which version string to choose if we want an Ubuntu package
> (+delta) to be auto-synced, without the need for a manual merge. The
> results might be of interest for the broader Ubuntu developer community!
>
> The context was a sponsoring request for "gnudatalanguage" [0] but the
> outcome applies to and can be useful all over the archive.
>
> Initially a version of "1.0.1-3willsync1" was suggested, as the fix was
> already committed in Debian (Salsa) but not yet uploaded and we had some
> precedence about the "willsyncX" version in the archive [1]. We wanted
> it to sync automatically, as soon as the upload happens in Debian and
> therefore avoided an "ubuntuX" version string, as this would block an
> auto-sync [2]. BUT: "-3willsync1" > "-3ubuntu1" or another potential,
> future "ubuntuX" version, so if we'd need to add another patch, which
> might not necessarily auto-sync, we cannot override the "willsync1"
> version with an "ubuntuX" version. That's a problem and could lead to
> ugly version strings.
>
>
>
> We needed a version that does not contain the word "ubuntu", so it can
> be auto-synced, once the committed patch is uploaded into Debian. But at
> the same time we needed it to be bigger than the current version
> (1.0.1-3build2) and wanted it to be smaller than a potential, future
> "1.0.1-3ubuntu1" version. We came up with the following:
>
>
> 1.0.1-3build2 < 1.0.1-3maysync1 < 1.0.1-3ubuntu1 => 1.0.1-3maysync1
>
>
> So I'd like to suggest that anybody in a similar situation should be
> using a "maysync1" revision, in favor of "willsync1".
>
> Cheers,
>     Lukas
>
>
> PS: "1.0.1-3~willsync1" might have been another option, but that's in
> conflict (i.e. smaller than) the current "-3build2" version string.
>
>
> [0] https://pad.lv/1973377
> [1] $ apt search . | grep "sync[0-9]"
> [2] https://git.launchpad.net/ubuntu-archive-tools/tree/auto-sync#n566
>
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