Subject: Re: bug#14851: linux-libre-3.3.8-gnu disappeared

From: Alexandre Oliva <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 08:08:43 -0300

On Jul 12, 2013, [email-masked] (Ludovic Courtès) wrote:

> Since we’re about to release a new version of Guix, I’d rather keep
> using 3.3.8.

> Alexandre: could you reinstate the original
> http://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre/releases/3.3.8-gnu/linux-libre-3.3.8-gnu.tar.xz?

I suppose you don't want to prevent users of guix from using ath9k wifi
cards, so I strongly suggest switching to 3.3.8-gnu1.  Indeed, I think
you'd be better off with some LTS version of GNU Linux-libre, rather
than the dead 3.3 branch.  But that's your call.

> It would be ideal if the tarballs were on ftp.gnu.org.  I could do it if
> you don’t want to bother, provided the FTP admins allow it.  WDYT?

I'd be glad with such an arrangement.  I keep on failing to figure out
how to fit the weekly publishing of multiple releases into a workflow
that includes collecting information and sending it to ftp.gnu.org
without keeping another local copy of stuff that was published before.
That's one of the hold-up factors for me.  As for the tarballs, they're
all signed, so figuring out a way to upload just the bits created since
the last push, and pushing them to live, is what's missing.

Now, another possibility that I think would make more sense for guix is
to have its sources consolidated in a single place, rather than
scattered all over and at risk of having them pulled from under you.  At
the very least, you ought to keep a copy of sources you use to build
binaries you publish, so that you can satisfy your obligation to offer
the corresponding source, be it a legal (copyleft) or moral (software in
gnu ought to be free) obligation.

When we get GNU Linux-libre at ftp.gnu.org, it could then be hard links,
so that if we remove some tarball it won't go away from your “copy”, but
until then, you might be better off holding your own copy rather than
assuming our primary repository has infinite space.  Unfortunately it
doesn't, and I have to clean things up quite often.  For sources, I at
least keep enough bits around that the tarballs can be reconstructed in
a bit-exact fashion, but for binaries, when they're gone, they're gone
forever.  However, considering we put out multiple GBs of builds per
week, I don't think it's realistic to keep them all forever.  Not in our
own server, not at ftp.gnu.org.

-- 
Alexandre Oliva, freedom fighter    http://FSFLA.org/~lxoliva/
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Gandhi
Be Free! -- http://FSFLA.org/   FSF Latin America board member
Free Software Evangelist      Red Hat Brazil Compiler Engineer