[pkg-otr-team] libotr transition started by mistake :-/ [Was: Bug#767230: bitlbee-plugin-otr: bitlbee no longer starts: libotr API version 4.1.0 incompatible with actual version 4.0.0]

[Niels Thykier]

Control: severity 767230 serious

On 2014-10-29 17:09, intrigeri wrote:
> Hi Sebastian, hi release team,
> 
> [...]

Hi,

Thanks for contacting us about this matter.

> 
> Anyway: it seems that I've actually started a transition after the
> transition freeze :/
> 

Looking through the diff between the version of libotr in testing vs.
the version in sid.  I saw no obvious ABI / API breakage myself - that
said I would certainly would not mind a second (third?) reviewer
reviewing this assertion though.  Preferably one who knows the C ABI
rules by heart.

> [...]
> 
> Plan A -- ship Jessie with libotr 4.1, drop the version check temporarily
> =========================================================================
> 
> 1. Patch libotr to loosen this version check on Jessie: assuming the
>    "no API/ABI break" assumption is true, this should work just fine.

I suspect this will be the least intrusive method assuming the "no
ABI/API" assertion holds.

> 2. For Jessie+1, re-add the version check, and get proper shlibs
>    support so that we get proper transition handling next time.
> 

As I recall, we generally prefer libraries do not have unnecessary
"strictly equal runtime version checks", since they tend to be wrong.
  Proper use of shlibs (or symbols) and SONAME bumping (with package
renaming) makes such checks redundant (for Debian maintained reverse
dependencies).

> [...]
> 
> My preferred option is plan A, because it seems to be simpler for
> everyone affected. Plan B would be fine with me too. Option C would
> make me sad, and add painful work for everyone involved further along
> the road.
> 
> Dear RT, what option(s) would be acceptable for you?
> 
> Sorry for the burden again..
> 
> Cheers!
> 

I generally agree with plan A (with the a minor remark mentioned above).
 I have promoted #767230 to RC to keep the breakage from reaching testing.

Please also prepare a debdiff between libotr/4.1.0-1 and the proposed
version[1] and send it to us (to this thread), so we can review the
additional changes we will accept.

Thanks,
~Niels

[1] Yes, this /is/ different than what the freeze policy normally
requests, which ask for the debdiff between the version in testing and
the (proposed) upload.