GNU bug report logs - #19913
25.0.50; Add target version(s) information to etc/CONTRIBUTE

Previous Next

To add a comment to this bug, you must first unarchive it, by sending
a message to control AT debbugs.gnu.org, with unarchive 19913 in the body.
You can then email your comments to 19913 AT debbugs.gnu.org in the normal way.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eric Abrahamsen <eric <at> ericabrahamsen.net>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 25.0.50; Add target version(s) information to etc/CONTRIBUTE
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2015 20:45:21 +0800

A bit of information that should be in etc/CONTRIBUTE, but isn't:

When contributing patches to Emacs proper, which versions should be
targeted? How should one get them as "compile-clean" as possible? At the
moment randomsample.de seems to be down, but I recall that the code is
automatically built against 24.1, 24.2, HEAD, and a couple of XEmacs
flavors. I also recall having a hard time finding git branches that
corresponded exactly to the buildbot versions. I'm also so far totally
unable to build XEmacs at all, but that's a separate problem.

So, under the "Supplemental information for Emacs Developers" heading, I
propose another heading that goes something like this:

** Backwards Compatibility

New Emacs code should be compatible with the following older versions:

- [LIST OLDER VERSIONS HERE]

Git branches tracking the above Emacs versions are in the official Git
repository, with branch names that look like "back_compat/*" [NOT TRUE,
I'M MAKING THIS UP, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. WHERE DO THE
BUILDBOT'S TEST VERSIONS COME FROM, ANYWAY?]. XEmacs can be
obtained from http://www.xemacs.org/.

For larger patches, please take the time to apply your patch to these
different versions, and ensure that Emacs builds without error.

Note that the Emacs codebase is automatically built every X DAYS,
against each of the above-mentioned versions. Should any patch you
contribute cause an error in one of these version builds, you'll receive
an automatic notification email from the buildbot.



Anyway, I think something like that would be helpful.

Message #8 received at 19913 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: Eric Abrahamsen <eric <at> ericabrahamsen.net>
Cc: 19913 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19913: 25.0.50;
 Add target version(s) information to etc/CONTRIBUTE
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2015 15:57:05 -0500

I think you're making this more complicated than it is.
Code for Emacs itself should be compatible with the trunk.
Anything else is pointless.
Code for elpa.gnu.org should be compatible with the latest Emacs release.
If you want to support older releases, fine, but IMO a waste of time.

Message #13 received at 19913-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eric Abrahamsen <eric <at> ericabrahamsen.net>
To: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#19913: 25.0.50;
 Add target version(s) information to etc/CONTRIBUTE
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2015 09:10:44 +0800

Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org> writes:

> I think you're making this more complicated than it is.
> Code for Emacs itself should be compatible with the trunk.
> Anything else is pointless.
> Code for elpa.gnu.org should be compatible with the latest Emacs release.
> If you want to support older releases, fine, but IMO a waste of time.

I'm certainly not saying this *should* be the convention, I thought it
already *was*, based on the automatic builds. If that's not the case, then
there's no need to do anything, and this bug should be closed.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.