On Tue, 20 May 2008, Kendall Shaw wrote:
Can you also help me understand these words about -current, from the
FAQ:
"There are also flag days and major system changes that the developers
navigate with one-time tools, which mean that source-based updating is
not possible."
There are changes that don't occur in the source?
Maybe it's better if someone else confirms what I'm about to say (and
corrects me if I'm wrong), but here's how I understand it:
Sometimes, there'll be such important and drastic changes in some parts of
the source that it becomes impossible to compile this new version of the
source using the tools/kernel built with the older version of the source,
before the drastic changes were committed.
In these cases the developers use some one-off methods/tools to get the
"tricky" parts of the new sources compiled. With the relevant tools/parts
updated in a "customized" fashion they can then perform a recompile of the
whole base using the traditional methods and release a binary-form
snapshot, which people running -current are expected to upgrade with if
they want to continue following -current.
Makes sense?
-Martin
