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

[Marc Deslauriers]

Hi,

On 2022-05-25 05:44, Lukas Märdian 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

I kind of think "maysync" and "willsync" could be confusing for users as they
may think it has something to do with the software they are installing...how
about something simple, like 3u1, or 3distro1?

Marc.

> 
> 
> 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
>