Re: [Caml-list] Warning: Ubuntu 11.04 Vs OCaml 3.12.0

[Gerd Stolpmann <info@gerd-stolpmann.de>]

Am Dienstag, den 03.05.2011, 22:51 +0200 schrieb Mehdi Dogguy:
> On 05/03/2011 07:49 PM, Gerd Stolpmann wrote:
> > Am Dienstag, den 03.05.2011, 18:47 +0200 schrieb Gabriel Scherer:
> >> Would it be possible for Ubuntu users to use the Debian packages,
> >> which already have the bugfix patch included?
> >
> > Tsts.
> >
> > Thanks to Virgile Prevosto the patch is already in GODI, though not
> > yet released. I'll take care of this later today.
> >
> > A source-based distribution can react quite fast on this type of
> > problem.
> >
> 
> That's hilarious (as a statement). This patch has been applied and
> released (since last March 9th) in a binary distribution (namely
> Debian). So, I quite don't understand your statement.

The statement is that a source-based distribution can adapt quickly to a
changing environment. What's the problem with this? We are aware of this
problem since yesterday, and we do something the day later.

I do not make any statement (if you read carefully) whether GODI or
Debian is better. Such comparisons are stupid.

Well, Ubuntu is another case, as we all know that Ubuntu does not care
about the quality of their ocaml packages.

>  IMO, It depends
> on the manpower behind (and maybe dev tools and release process).
> But I don't see where you gain to have a source-based distribution
> to address this kind of issues (except for the build time… but that's
> ridiculous).

Debian is in the lucky situation that they provide both the environment
for ocaml and ocaml. So yes, they can fix the problems they created in
their own environment :-) - Ubuntu is already a different story, they
provide binary packages without any QA process.

The worst case is when you have a binary distribution of ocaml for an OS
you do not control. Sometimes the only possible fix is then to check at
runtime (!) whether you are in a problematic environment or not. Ask
Windows users how this feels.

I hope you get my point. "Binary" does not necessarily mean "as good as
Debian".

> The real problem of Ubuntu (wrt. OCaml) is that OCaml has no maintainer.
> And, we also see that with GODI. manpower is lacking and you weren't able
> to release a fix until today, although the patch was there since quite
> some time now. (Not blaming anyone here, just stating a fact).

Well, nobody told us. I don't see this as a real problem, though,
because we get problem reports when the first user runs into the
problem, and then we can fix it asap. We fortunately don't have to
synchronize with a given release timeline.

> But oh well, maybe all this is off-topic.

Manpower is certainly an issue (for all ocaml distros). I'm currently
working on a plan how to improve this for GODI. Don't know whether it
works, though.

Regarding Ubuntu, maybe we should ask them to remove their ocaml
packages from their distribution as long as they do not do QA.


Gerd

> Regards,
> 


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