Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

[Brian Inglis]

On 2023-10-21 11:20, cygwin-no-reply@cygwin.com wrote:
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/libncurses++w10/libncurses++w10-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/libncurses++w10/libncurses++w10-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-demo/ncurses-demo-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-demo/ncurses-demo-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/terminfo-extra/terminfo-extra-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/terminfo-extra/terminfo-extra-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/terminfo/terminfo-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/terminfo/terminfo-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-6.4-4.20231016-src.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-6.4-4.20231016-src.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-debuginfo/ncurses-debuginfo-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/ncurses-debuginfo/ncurses-debuginfo-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/libncursesw10/libncursesw10-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/libncursesw10/libncursesw10-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/libncurses-devel/libncurses-devel-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: x86_64/release/ncurses/libncurses-devel/libncurses-devel-6.4-4.20231016.hint is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
> ERROR: error while validating movelists for Brian Inglis
> SUMMARY: 19 ERROR(s)

Hi folks,

Thinking that ncurses i-i.net releases would pause at some point, I have been 
incrementing the release number and appending the date throughout this year, but 
it appears not, so I would now like to reset the primary release number to the 
next after current stable 6.4-3.20230114 and use primary release 6.4-4.2023???? 
as my test prefix which I would like to make current stable some time soon!

Is there any way I can blow away my old test releases 6.4-5.2023... thru 
6.4-13.2023... so I can reset the sequence, like listing a bunch of obsoletes 
somehow:

	6.4-5.20230514
	6.4-6.20230520
	6.4-7.20230603
	6.4-8.20230617
	6.4-9.20230625
	6.4-10.20230701
	6.4-11.20230708
	6.4-12.20230715
	6.4-13.20230729

or could someone kind person please do whatever is required if I can not do so?

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer     but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Re: Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

[Jon Turney]

On 21/10/2023 20:00, Brian Inglis via Cygwin-apps wrote:
> On 2023-10-21 11:20, 
> cygwin-no-reply-rDBXBDvO6BXQT0dZR+AlfA@public.gmane.org wrote:
>> ERROR: 
>> x86_64/release/ncurses/libncurses++w10/libncurses++w10-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
>> ERROR: 
[..]
>> SUMMARY: 19 ERROR(s)

So, the reason why this confusing error is being emitted is because you 
are trying to upload a test version 6.4-4.20231016, which is less than 
the existing 6.4-12.20230715 and 6.4-13.20230729 test versions.

The default keep-count-test value is 2 (keep the two latest test 
versions), so it would be expired immediately after upload.

This is an error, because that's not something sensible to do, and 
usually indicates a mistake somewhere along the line.

> Thinking that ncurses i-i.net releases would pause at some point, I have 
> been incrementing the release number and appending the date throughout 
> this year, but it appears not, so I would now like to reset the primary 
> release number to the next after current stable 6.4-3.20230114 and use 
> primary release 6.4-4.2023???? as my test prefix which I would like to 
> make current stable some time soon!

I'm quite clear on what this means, but this seems to be a problem of 
upstream's making, if it really is releasing multiple versions called 
"6.4" (with some date/patch level that isn't part of it's version label)

(e.g. look at https://repology.org/project/ncurses/information where 
there's lots of variants on 6.4.x and no way to compare them because 
individual distros make them up in different ways...)

> Is there any way I can blow away my old test releases 6.4-5.2023... thru 
> 6.4-13.2023... so I can reset the sequence, like listing a bunch of 
> obsoletes somehow:

The problem with the concept of "reset the sequence" is that 
version-release identifiers have an ordering.

Anyone who already has these test releases installed, won't (ordinarily) 
get downgraded to a lesser version.

>      6.4-5.20230514
>      6.4-6.20230520
>      6.4-7.20230603
>      6.4-8.20230617
>      6.4-9.20230625
>      6.4-10.20230701
>      6.4-11.20230708
>      6.4-12.20230715
>      6.4-13.20230729
> 
> or could someone kind person please do whatever is required if I can not 
> do so?

That said, you can use ssh vault command [1] to expunge versions that 
are no longer required.

(and see the caveat there about how setup won't automatically downgrade 
from removed versions)

If you really care about that, you could then upload appropriate 
override.hint files (note that you need one per subpackage) with a 
replace-version: line indicating the withdrawn version-release(s).

(It's unclear to me if this second step is really worth the effort, 
given that only the presumably small number of people who install 
ncurses test releases are affected.)

[1]  https://cygwin.com/package-upload.html#deleting



Finally: you don't need to scrimp and save integers.  I happen to have 
an inexhaustible supply of monotonically increasing ones...

Re: Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

[Brian Inglis]

On 2023-10-21 14:15, Jon Turney via Cygwin-apps wrote:
> On 21/10/2023 20:00, Brian Inglis via Cygwin-apps wrote:
>> On 2023-10-21 11:20, cygwin-no-reply-rDBXBDvO6BXQT0dZR+AlfA@public.gmane.org 
>> wrote:
>>> ERROR: 
>>> x86_64/release/ncurses/libncurses++w10/libncurses++w10-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz 
>>> is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
>>> ERROR: 
> [..]
>>> SUMMARY: 19 ERROR(s)
> 
> So, the reason why this confusing error is being emitted is because you are 
> trying to upload a test version 6.4-4.20231016, which is less than the existing 
> 6.4-12.20230715 and 6.4-13.20230729 test versions.
> 
> The default keep-count-test value is 2 (keep the two latest test versions), so 
> it would be expired immediately after upload.
> 
> This is an error, because that's not something sensible to do, and usually 
> indicates a mistake somewhere along the line.
> 
>> Thinking that ncurses i-i.net releases would pause at some point, I have been 
>> incrementing the release number and appending the date throughout this year, 
>> but it appears not, so I would now like to reset the primary release number to 
>> the next after current stable 6.4-3.20230114 and use primary release 
>> 6.4-4.2023???? as my test prefix which I would like to make current stable 
>> some time soon!
> 
> I'm quite clear on what this means, but this seems to be a problem of upstream's 
> making, if it really is releasing multiple versions called "6.4" (with some 
> date/patch level that isn't part of it's version label)
> 
> (e.g. look at https://repology.org/project/ncurses/information where there's 
> lots of variants on 6.4.x and no way to compare them because individual distros 
> make them up in different ways...)
> 
>> Is there any way I can blow away my old test releases 6.4-5.2023... thru 
>> 6.4-13.2023... so I can reset the sequence, like listing a bunch of obsoletes 
>> somehow:
> 
> The problem with the concept of "reset the sequence" is that version-release 
> identifiers have an ordering.
> 
> Anyone who already has these test releases installed, won't (ordinarily) get 
> downgraded to a lesser version.
> 
>>      6.4-5.20230514
>>      6.4-6.20230520
>>      6.4-7.20230603
>>      6.4-8.20230617
>>      6.4-9.20230625
>>      6.4-10.20230701
>>      6.4-11.20230708
>>      6.4-12.20230715
>>      6.4-13.20230729
>>
>> or could someone kind person please do whatever is required if I can not do so?
> 
> That said, you can use ssh vault command [1] to expunge versions that are no 
> longer required.
> 
> (and see the caveat there about how setup won't automatically downgrade from 
> removed versions)
> 
> If you really care about that, you could then upload appropriate override.hint 
> files (note that you need one per subpackage) with a replace-version: line 
> indicating the withdrawn version-release(s).
> 
> (It's unclear to me if this second step is really worth the effort, given that 
> only the presumably small number of people who install ncurses test releases are 
> affected.)
> 
> [1]  https://cygwin.com/package-upload.html#deleting

Thanks Jon,

I was unaware that useful command had been added.

> Finally: you don't need to scrimp and save integers.  I happen to have an 
> inexhaustible supply of monotonically increasing ones...

As does ncurses unfortunately; had I known they would be updating almost weekly, 
I would have used the approach I am now going for, rather than the pattern 
established earlier with less frequent updates.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer     but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Re: Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

[Brian Inglis]

On 2023-10-21 14:15, Jon Turney via Cygwin-apps wrote:
> On 21/10/2023 20:00, Brian Inglis via Cygwin-apps wrote:
>> Thinking that ncurses i-i.net releases would pause at some point, I have been 
>> incrementing the release number and appending the date throughout this year, 
>> but it appears not, so I would now like to reset the primary release number to 
>> the next after current stable 6.4-3.20230114 and use primary release 
>> 6.4-4.2023???? as my test prefix which I would like to make current stable 
>> some time soon!

> I'm quite clear on what this means, but this seems to be a problem of upstream's 
> making, if it really is releasing multiple versions called "6.4" (with some 
> date/patch level that isn't part of it's version label)
> 
> (e.g. look at https://repology.org/project/ncurses/information where there's 
> lots of variants on 6.4.x and no way to compare them because individual distros 
> make them up in different ways...)

Thanks Jon,

The occasional/annual "official" GNU release is 6.4 but i-i.net seems to package 
a new tarball with a date suffix every few days/weeks, after applying patches 
developed or received.
The package naming pattern seems to be some variation of that with some 
punctuation like ours but more fixed.
I should probably just skip the sequential "release" prefix to the date suffix,
as 6.4-2023???? is presumably greater than 6.4-?.2023????, and we have not yet 
implemented EPOCH:V-R dating yet, correct?
>> Is there any way I can blow away my old test releases 6.4-5.2023... thru 
>> 6.4-13.2023... so I can reset the sequence, like listing a bunch of obsoletes 
>> somehow:
>> or could someone kind person please do whatever is required if I can not do so?

> That said, you can use ssh vault command [1] to expunge versions that are no 
> longer required.
> (and see the caveat there about how setup won't automatically downgrade from 
> removed versions)
> If you really care about that, you could then upload appropriate override.hint 
> files (note that you need one per subpackage) with a replace-version: line 
> indicating the withdrawn version-release(s).
> (It's unclear to me if this second step is really worth the effort, given that 
> only the presumably small number of people who install ncurses test releases are 
> affected.)

...and hopefully they ignore the sequential number.

Just to be clear about the process details and best practice:

I should create a dummy local dist tree for superseded versions,
with the tar file names prefixed with "-" and zero length,
and P-V-R.hint files replaced with override.hint files,
each containing "replace-versions: V-R..." for old versions,
then sftp upload that dist tree in a similar manner to cygport upload?

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer     but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Re: Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

[Jon Turney]

On 22/10/2023 16:42, Brian Inglis via Cygwin-apps wrote:

> I should probably just skip the sequential "release" prefix to the date 
> suffix,
> as 6.4-2023???? is presumably greater than 6.4-?.2023????, and we have 
> not yet implemented EPOCH:V-R dating yet, correct?

Yes, 2023???? (where ? stands for some digit) is bigger than any of the 
numbers in the range 4...13.

Epochs are supported (theoretically), but I don't think you need to use 
them here.

> ...and hopefully they ignore the sequential number.

Again, the question isn't about the meaning that a person ascribes to 
the version number (because you can't reasonably expect people to 
examine every package in detail), it's about the actions that setup will 
automatically take.

> Just to be clear about the process details and best practice:
> 
> I should create a dummy local dist tree for superseded versions,
> with the tar file names prefixed with "-" and zero length,

You don't need to do this.  This removes files (which I think you have 
already done)

> and P-V-R.hint files replaced with override.hint files,
> each containing "replace-versions: V-R..." for old versions,
> then sftp upload that dist tree in a similar manner to cygport upload?

Yes.

But if you are really going to upload a 6.4-2023MMDD sometime soon (or 
anything greater than 6.4-13, in fact), you don't need to bother, 
because that does supersede the removed test versions (and so any 
installation of them will get upgraded).

Re: Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

[Brian Inglis]

On 2023-10-22 14:13, Jon Turney via Cygwin-apps wrote:
> On 22/10/2023 16:42, Brian Inglis via Cygwin-apps wrote:
> 
>> I should probably just skip the sequential "release" prefix to the date suffix,
>> as 6.4-2023???? is presumably greater than 6.4-?.2023????, and we have not yet 
>> implemented EPOCH:V-R dating yet, correct?
> 
> Yes, 2023???? (where ? stands for some digit) is bigger than any of the numbers 
> in the range 4...13.
> 
> Epochs are supported (theoretically), but I don't think you need to use them here.
> 
>> ...and hopefully they ignore the sequential number.
> 
> Again, the question isn't about the meaning that a person ascribes to the 
> version number (because you can't reasonably expect people to examine every 
> package in detail), it's about the actions that setup will automatically take.
> 
>> Just to be clear about the process details and best practice:
>>
>> I should create a dummy local dist tree for superseded versions,
>> with the tar file names prefixed with "-" and zero length,
> 
> You don't need to do this.  This removes files (which I think you have already 
> done)
> 
>> and P-V-R.hint files replaced with override.hint files,
>> each containing "replace-versions: V-R..." for old versions,
>> then sftp upload that dist tree in a similar manner to cygport upload?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> But if you are really going to upload a 6.4-2023MMDD sometime soon (or anything 
> greater than 6.4-13, in fact), you don't need to bother, because that does 
> supersede the removed test versions (and so any installation of them will get 
> upgraded).

Thanks Jon,

I probably will do that in future.

For the inevitable future messes, wanted to build and test a script to make a 
package obsolete with dummy files, which will replicate the current package dist 
tree with each .hint replicated by replace-versions: ... override.hint and all 
other (tar) files replaced with a zero length minus prefixed basename, uploaded 
and readied by lftp.

I managed to run, test, and clean up, before my ISP connection went flakely.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer     but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry