Re: [boost] What is http://downloads.sourceforge.net/boost/boost_1_63_0.tar.bz2 ?

Subject: Re: [boost] What is http://downloads.sourceforge.net/boost/boost_1_63_0.tar.bz2 ?
From: Rene Rivera (grafikrobot_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-01-27 13:58:49

On Fri, Jan 27, 2017 at 7:44 AM, Jonathan Wakely <jwakely.boost_at_[hidden]>
wrote:

> On 27 January 2017 at 13:23, Jonathan Wakely wrote:
> > The link http://downloads.sourceforge.net/boost/boost_1_63_0.tar.bz2
>

It's insane that even works! Since there's no such path in the file release
system.

> > redirects to http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/boost/boost/
> snapshots/master/boost_1_63_0.tar.bz2

Grrr.

> which seems to be a snapshot from master, and VERY different to the
> > boost_1_63_0 release (which makes it a VERY misleading URL).
> >
> > How often is that snapshot updated?
>

It's updates for each commit to master + CI build.

> Shouldn't it have a different name if it's not boost_1_63_0.tar.bz2
> > but some completely different set of sources (which currently don't
> > even build)?
> >
> > The Fedora Linux packages have been using that URL, for several years
> > by the look of things. So I have no idea what arbitrary collection of
> > changes we've been shipping instead of a proper release.
>
> OK, I've found https://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/
> snapshots/master/
> which explains they're snapshots.
>
> I still think having those tarballs called "boost_1_63_0" is insane,
> when it's not that release at all. Can't you append "-snapshot" or a
> date to the name or something?
>

I might be able to add "snapshot" to the name. But in a previous release it
was decided that the names should be the same as the final package. As the
step for doing the actual release is to just "cp" the files. But I can
change the packaging to that the internal dir name is correct, but the
archive file name is different. What I can't do is put a date or other
varying tag. As it would make it impossible to use bintray. But I would
hope this shadow download issue is not a problem in bintray.

And I also think having
> http://downloads.sourceforge.net/boost/boost_1_63_0.tar.bz2 redirect
> to a snapshot is rather sneaky, as there's no indication you're using
> a snapshot not a release. Has it always been like that, or did it
> change with http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2016/08/230528.php ?
>

I have no idea why it does that. We explicit set the default files to
download to be *only* the released files. The fact that SF is happily
shoving over some random file for something that doesn't exists is insane.

If it's at all possible the Everyone should be using links like this:

<
https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/boost/boost/1.63.0/boost_1_63_0.tar.bz2
>

That specify the full path to the file. If Linux distros are not doing
that.. Shame on them.

-- 
-- Rene Rivera
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