Sync with gnome releases

[Derek Atkins]

linas@linas.org (Linas Vepstas) writes:

> Maybe I should then rephrase my concerns.  When the next drop of
> evolution comes out, it seems we'll have yet another round of
> incompatible-library-version problems.  I don't see any easy way out
> of this.

I'll try to avoid saying "I told you so" at this point.  Oops, I guess
I just did, didn't I?  ;-)

> The obvious fall-back plan is to hope that all major gnu/linux
> distros include gnucash natively, and they don't blow it on thier
> own intra-package dependencies.

The only way this will work is if you stop writing against
bleeding-edge software.  No true distribution worth its beans is going
to be using bleeding-edge software.  For example, Red Hat may support
Gnome 1.4 in RH 7.2..  Maybe.  I don't know if they will or not.  But
since Gnucash requires it, if they dont upgrade gnome then they can't
distribute gnucash 1.6.x.

The only way to get this to work is to NOT use bleeding-edge
interfaces.  Give yourself an out and remain one-release behind.  I'm
sure that an app written to gnome-1.2 would compile against gnome-1.4
and work just fine.  This gives you forward compatibility when the
bleeding stuff gets released.  But at the same time, you're not
limiting your audience to only those willing or able to "upgrade" to
the "latest-and-greatest".

> I don't know, maybe I'm concerned over nothing, but it just makes my head
> hurt to read all these emails along the lines of 'i can't install this caus'a
> that'.

Well, I was warning you all about this months ago....  But you all
seemed to think this was The One True Way (TM) to code.  I gave up
trying to convince you this was a problem.

My answer: at this point there isn't much you can do except wait about
a year or two for everyone else to catch up.  In the meantime, DON'T
code against newer libraries.  Stick with the gnome-1.4 interfaces
until _AFTER_ gnome 1.6 is released.  ONLY AFTER it is out should you
start even CONSIDERING using 1.6 interfaces in code changes on the
development branch.

> --linas

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
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