[SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

Winston-Wolfe · 2013-06-02 11:52:30

I read the ArchWiki Entry on Git, but I still don't really understand what it is in terms of Aur packages.
I've seen this a couple of times, where there's a second git version of a package in AUR. For example, when I type 'prey' into Yaourt, I get a couple of results, among them:

3 aur/prey-git 20100424-1 (5)
Prey is a lightweight application that will help you track and find your laptop if it ever gets stolen.
4 aur/prey-tracker 0.6.0-1 (100)
Remote tracking and monitoring application for laptops, smartphones, and other electronic devices

Either would install Prey on my computer, right? What are the differences and/or benefits of either?

Last edited by Winston-Wolfe (2013-06-06 11:11:27)

karol · 2013-06-02 12:09:08

Let's say upstream constantly modifies code in their git repository. Once they're happy with it, they make a release of their program.
If you're using prey-tracker, chances are that it's more stable and well-tested, but doesn't include some nice features that are already available in the git version.

That's the general idea, but it really depends on the project. Sometimes the developers are somewhat reluctant to make a new release, even if there are some issues with the current one, so you have to use the current one (or even the previous one) and patch it. If you compile the git (or mercurial, bazaar etc.) version, the issues have already been taken care of and you don't need any workarounds.

If you take joy in updating very often, the git version may suit you more.
If you're happy with the release version, there may be no benefit in using the git version.

Winston-Wolfe · 2013-06-02 12:12:10

Great, that cleared things up for me.
Thank you.

Edit: Can I install a git version on top of a normal one, as in will it replace it, or should I remove the original before installing the git?

Last edited by Winston-Wolfe (2013-06-02 12:16:26)

Mr.Elendig · 2013-06-02 12:24:45

Arch, with some rare exceptions, only ships stable releases in the repos.

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2013-06-02 12:25:10)

ill · 2013-06-02 12:30:44

Winston-Wolfe wrote:

Great, that cleared things up for me.
Thank you.
Edit: Can I install a git version on top of a normal one, as in will it replace it, or should I remove the original before installing the git?

They will conflict, pacman will prompt you to remove one when you install the other.

karol · 2013-06-02 12:49:27

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/prey-tracker/ seems to be better maintained.
prey-git failed to build and has long been marked out of date.

x33a · 2013-06-02 15:42:22

karol wrote:

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/prey-tracker/ seems to be better maintained.
prey-git failed to build and has long been marked out of date.

Oh the irony.

This is one of the reasons for such a high number of packages on AUR. Submit and forget. As someone mentioned on the forums recently, people should at least abandon the packages so others can take over.

AUR really needs a huge cleanup.

karol · 2013-06-02 15:51:00

https://aur.archlinux.org/

Statistics
Packages 42851
Orphan Packages 9729
Packages added in the past 7 days 126
Packages updated in the past 7 days 1052
Packages updated in the past year 17219
Packages never updated 10679
Registered Users 46348
Trusted Users 34

x33a wrote:

As someone mentioned on the forums recently, people should at least abandon the packages so others can take over.

You can always e-mail the maintainer and if you don't get a response in two weeks, ask on the AUR ML to take that package over.
In the meantime you can post a link to the updated PKGBUILD etc. in comments on the AUR page of that package.

As with my posts, quantity != quality ;P

Trilby · 2013-06-02 16:30:36

Maybe we need a way to 'ping' maintainers.

If every so often (once a year) an automated email was sent to the maintainer of every aur package with a deadline for them to take some action to confirm the PKGBUILD still works. If they don't respond affirmatively within a timeframe (2 weeks?) the package would be auto-orphaned.

Or perhaps to minimize the minor hassle, the email only went out to maintainers of packages that haven't been updated within the past month.

Last edited by Trilby (2013-06-02 16:31:19)

karol · 2013-06-02 16:37:50

Trilby wrote:

Or perhaps to minimize the minor hassle, the email only went out to maintainers of packages that haven't been updated within the past month.

Even if we would ping packages not updated in the past year it would mean 25k e-mails.
We first need a system to check the 'affirmative responses'.

Trilby · 2013-06-02 16:53:35

That's why I suggested it'd be an automated mailing.

The response may just be logging into their AUR account (?). I presume there is a way to get last login times.

Of course one could login and do nothing while the packages were still problematic. However, I doubt most AUR problems are from maintainers that are 'deviously' keeping them unmaintained - they're simply forgotten.

EDIT: we are taking this quite OT. If this deserves follow up, perhaps it should be another thread or on the mailing list.

Last edited by Trilby (2013-06-02 16:55:26)

karol · 2013-06-07 11:46:26

Trilby wrote:

EDIT: we are taking this quite OT. If this deserves follow up, perhaps it should be another thread or on the mailing list.

In case anyone's interested, there already is a [very old] feature request for this https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/3528

cfr · 2013-06-08 00:41:47

I could be wrong about this, but I also get the impression that there are some maintainers with a *lot* of packages, only some of which they have forgotten. But perhaps that is a mis-impression (as well as being OT).

Arch Linux

#1 2013-06-02 11:52:30

[SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#2 2013-06-02 12:09:08

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#3 2013-06-02 12:12:10

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#4 2013-06-02 12:24:45

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#5 2013-06-02 12:30:44

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#6 2013-06-02 12:49:27

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#7 2013-06-02 15:42:22

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#8 2013-06-02 15:51:00

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#9 2013-06-02 16:30:36

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#10 2013-06-02 16:37:50

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#11 2013-06-02 16:53:35

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#12 2013-06-07 11:46:26

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

#13 2013-06-08 00:41:47

Re: [SOLVED] What are Git-type AUR packages?

Board footer