Topic: Updates from 19th April 2008

[p-jones]

It would seem that there have been a significant number of breakages resulting from the updates of April 19th.

I am somewhat at a loss to understand why updates are pushed out when it is known and expected that the updates will break servers. I am at an even greater loss to understand why, if breakages are to be expected, that there is not a period or advanced warning. I notice the main posting from Wellsi advising of updates is dated 20th April, a day after release.

I am sure someone will point out that the updates dont break servers that dont have contribs, fair call however, what about the machines with contribs ? There seems to be a lot of them.

What are the most common contribs loaded ? If they are  system tools, eg Sysmon, Backup with DAR, then do they need to be incorporated into the base system ?

For me, it was backup with dar that broke my system. I can be 100% certain of that because I built up a new system from CD and updated. I then installed the contribs one by one till I found the one that broke my system. I did this again and got exactly the same results. Each contrib was installed EXACTLY as written up in the WIKI for that contrib.

Maybe I am mis informed. I just cannot get my head around this logic, if indeed there is any. Its starting to feel like M$ Windoze with patches to fix patches ...

[byte]

It would seem that there have been a significant number of breakages resulting from the updates of April 19th.

I would disagree with that comment as updates have gone well, the "breakages" you are referring too are the "messed up menus" which is due to major language changes within the base system.

I am somewhat at a loss to understand why updates are pushed out when it is known and expected that the updates will break servers. I am at an even greater loss to understand why, if breakages are to be expected, that there is not a period or advanced warning. I notice the main posting from Wellsi advising of updates is dated 20th April, a day after release.

Again the updates didn't break servers, basically if you/anyone are installing "third party software" then we can't control that, it's like using a kernel version for a specific piece of hardware only to find that the next kernel upgrade breaks your hardware support and no longer works. Also there was a note sent out on the 28th of March letting contrib users know that a major update is on the way:

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=40557.msg187640#msg187640

I am sure someone will point out that the updates dont break servers that dont have contribs, fair call however, what about the machines with contribs ? There seems to be a lot of them.

In the future when all/most contribs go in to the smecontribs repo things will happen differently as they will be in a controlled environment kind like a one stop place.

What are the most common contribs loaded ? If they are  system tools, eg Sysmon, Backup with DAR, then do they need to be incorporated into the base system ?

It's not the design of the SME Server to be loaded with contribs, although we welcome any New Feature Requests via the bug tracker...in fact the Backup with DAR (e-smith-backup which JPL did a lot of work on) is already in smetest for using on test servers to iron any bugs out to enable us then to move in to the base.

Maybe I am mis informed. I just cannot get my head around this logic [..]

The logic here was to enable SME Server to expand it's supported language base.

[jumba]

Well, unfortunately I'll have to agree a bit with P-Jones here...

I did not read a single word of warning in the initial announcements for the last updates. Of course I agree with Byte that the dev team can hardly be responsible for any breakage in third-party contribs, but still they should be well aware of the fact that many many servers out there use one or several third-party contribs.

Maybe a more CLEAR WARNING of this should be attached to any future upgrade announcement???

That should probably have saved a few of us from some headache, I think.

[dmay]

Here is my viewpoint. Everyone on the dev team is a volunteer doing their best. Thankfully this group of volunteers continues to upgrade and support the base product. Plus they help out with contribs as they directly updated my smeserver-dar2 contrib on their own accord and brought it into the smecontribs repository. Thanks gang. Keep up the great work. It is most appreciated!

Darrell

[janet]

To all

Everyone on the dev team is a volunteer doing their best.

Many of the popular contribs have been assessed/tested and answers/workarounds are here:

http://wiki.contribs.org/Translations#Outdated_contribs

[brianr]

Although the update has been painful for some of us (including myself), the the benefits far outweight the pain:

1. The contribs repo is now much more complete with many of the common (and uncommon) contribs that used to be scattered around.
2.  The multi language options will now bring in many more users, which will enhance the community tremendously.

Thanks are due to the devs who work ceaselessly to keep us all up to date and working (and HAVE been working ceaselessly in the last few days).

just my two pennyworth.

[cactus]

Maybe a more CLEAR WARNING of this should be attached to any future upgrade announcement???

That should probably have saved a few of us from some headache, I think.

Contrib authors have been warned a few weeks in advance:

• forum thread
• Devinfo mailinglist message
• More discussion on the devinfo list

If they had taken (greater) care for their package they would have had a new compatible release on the day of the update available in SME Contribs.