Re: [Automake-NG] Can we require GNU make >= 3.81? (make memoization doesn't work with GNU make 3.80)

[Jim Meyering]

Russ Allbery wrote:
> Bob Friesenhahn <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> The logic used by Debian/Ubuntu for when to update package versions
>> totally escapes me.  Users of my own software suffer as a result.
>
> 90% of the logic in Debian is "when the volunteer maintainer has time to
> deal with whatever issue arose."  Yes, there's another 10% that's other
> things, usually involving transitions or dependencies, but nine times out
> of ten, if you're reading some grand plan into delays, you're probably
> over-reading the situation.
>
> In this specific case, the make package maintainer in Debian changed jobs
> and has had almost no time to work on Debian in the past two years.  I
> suspect most of the reason for the delay is that, and the rest is:
>
>     http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=635317#59
>
> (which of course due to lack of time he's not had a chance to coordinate).
>
> Sadly, due to that bug, you should expect the next stable release of
> Debian to also have make 3.81, since it's now too late in the release
> cycle to introduce a disruptive change to a core build system package.

Hi Russ,

Would make-3.82 have a chance if we could automatically locate and
fix all problems like the one fixed in that kernel Makefile patch?

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?msg=19;filename=fix-mixed-implicit-and-normal-rules.patch;att=2;bug=635317

Of course, we'd still need the archive-wide rebuild that Ben
mentioned...

> That wouldn't have had to be the case if people had more time two years
> ago, but that sort of thing happens.  :/  It's very difficult to release
> something as large as Debian, and there's always something that's much
> more out-of-date than we'd like.
>
> Ubuntu by and large freezes with whatever Debian has in unstable or
> testing at the time of their release preparation since Ubuntu, for
> packages that aren't an Ubuntu-specific priority, just imports Debian,
> which sometimes can result in highly unfortunate choices if no one on the
> Ubuntu side is paying attention.