Re: xsrc libdrm update policy

Robert Bagdan <[email protected]> writes:

> Both the current and the netbsd-11 branch ship libdrm 2.4.124. Is
> there any plan to update it?
> More specifically, are libdrm updates expected for netbsd-11,
> or is 2.4.124 likely to remain unchanged for the lifetime of the branch?

(I don't actually make these decisions; this is a description of my
perception of existing practice.)

Generally, the rule for branches is no ABI breaks, and careful enough
that there is almost zero risk of trouble.

So 2.4.125 might well be ok, assuming it's the micro it should be,
security fixes, etc.  A version with a new shlib major is basically out
of the question.  A version with the same shlib major and thus in theory
no ABI break, with significant new features is iffy.

We did have an ABI break on a release branch.  I think it was X11
related and I think it was NetBSD 7.  I remember having to have built
packages separately for before/after.  My memory is tha this was a bad
experience and it increased the opposition to ABI breaks on release
branches.   So there is little to no appetite to go there again.