[Boost-cmake] Including patches other than cmake (was: 1.40.0.cmake3)

Subject: [Boost-cmake] Including patches other than cmake (was: 1.40.0.cmake3)
From: troy d. straszheim (troy_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-10-27 12:44:56

Denis Arnaud wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> on the Boost-CMake documentation 
> (http://gitorious.org/boost/cmake/blobs/raw/1.40.0/tools/build/CMake/docs/build/html/notes_by_version.html), 
> boost-1.40.0-cmake3 is said to be released. However, I cannot find it on 
> the release page (http://sodium.resophonic.com/boost-cmake/). Did I miss 
> something, or will it be released very soon?

It will be released soon, probably later today.  Thanks for your 
attention...

> By the way, there were two compilation errors with boost-1.40.0-cmake2 
> and gcc 4.4.1 (on Fedora 11) I had to fix, gathered into a dedicated 
> Trac ticket: https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/3565.

Hm.  We can patch releases on a much shorter timescale than upstream 
boost does, but my original intention was that e.g. a release 
1.41.0.cmakeN should be identical to upstream 1.41.0 in every way except 
the cmakefiles.  With git, this is easy to verify.

If we're going to issue patch releases that contain more than just cmake 
we should:

1. give them some name that indicates that they are more-than-just-cmake 
patch releases,

2. be careful about indicating what the diffs are (I think this can be 
easily scripted)

3. think carefully about what the criteria is for admitting patches.

4. continue to make releases that contain only cmake modifications.

There are dangers.  If people on the main boost list start getting bug 
reports that are due to this redistribution, they'll be justifiably 
angry.  We really want to avoid this.

Also, we're in gitland.  There's nothing stopping any of you from 
cloning the cmake repository and pushing your patches there.  Then you'd 
  have the ability to

- apply whatever patches you need
- see in an instant how your distribution differs from upstream or the 
cmake distribution
- put cmake patches someplace it is easy for me to get them.

Food for thought, I'm interested in any comments.

-t