Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

wh00 · 2019-05-15 19:14:05

There's a package on the official repos that's been marked out of date for over a month, and a fix for a problem I have in the updated package.

Is it acceptable to just email the maintainer and ask about the status, or is that considered pestering?

Trilby · 2019-05-15 19:16:56

What's the package? Is new version in [testing]? Is it even really out of date (not just a dev. version available)?

Overall, see #6.

You could email them if you have something constructive to offer: have you solved a problem that was holding back an update? But if you just want to email to ask when it will be updated, stop, go back and read the link above.

Also, why not just build the new version yourself?

Last edited by Trilby (2019-05-15 19:18:41)

wh00 · 2019-05-15 19:26:38

I don't see it in [testing]. The package is: https://www.archlinux.org/packages/extr … /protobuf/.

Based on its history, it looks like it gets updated every 3 months or so, and I don't see anything pressing in the bug reports.

For now I just built from the git version on AUR, which is fine so it's not a critical issue: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/protobuf3-git/

It'll probably get updated some time in June so I guess I'll just wait and see until around then.

Trilby · 2019-05-15 20:30:12

Ah, at least there really is a new upstream release ready. It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine that the signal-to-noise ratio of "out-of-date" flags is pretty low as some use it when there isn't yet an upstream stable release.

If the git version works, you should be set. Of course I was suggesting just building the new version of the stable package (with ABS) that way pacman would still update it when newer versions are eventually in the repos. Now that you've switched to -git, you'll have to remember to switch back later when a newer version is packaged.

Mortimer Houghton · 2019-05-16 15:29:43

The package is on version 3.7.1, which is the current stable release. There is 3.8.0-rc1, but of course a release candidate isn't a stable release. Is this really out of date?

Trilby · 2019-05-16 15:47:22

Mortimer Houghton wrote:

The package is on version 3.7.1

Not in the arch repos it isn't.

wh00 · 2019-05-16 22:24:47

Trilby wrote:

Of course I was suggesting just building the new version of the stable package (with ABS) that way pacman would still update it when newer versions are eventually in the repos. Now that you've switched to -git, you'll have to remember to switch back later when a newer version is packaged.

I just instantly short-circuit to going to AUR when something isn't in the main repos XD. Yes I got the PKGBUILD from `aps` and modified it for 3.7.1. Thanks!

Last edited by wh00 (2019-05-16 22:24:59)

Arch Linux

#1 2019-05-15 19:14:05

Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

#2 2019-05-15 19:16:56

Re: Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

#3 2019-05-15 19:26:38

Re: Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

#4 2019-05-15 20:30:12

Re: Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

#5 2019-05-16 15:29:43

Re: Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

#6 2019-05-16 15:47:22

Re: Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

#7 2019-05-16 22:24:47

Re: Is there an accepted way to 'poke' maintainers to update packages?

Board footer