[Pkg-gtkpod-devel] Re: [Gtkpod-devel] Using older gtkpod with new libgpod?

[Frank Lichtenheld]

On Sun, Oct 01, 2006 at 09:43:49AM +0900, Jorg Schuler wrote:
> gtkpod compiled with libgpod 0.3.2 will NOT run with libgpod 0.4.0. Most 
> likely even compilation would not work.
> 
> We've been discussing this issue internally but decided that for the 
> time being we won't bother with changing the soname because the API 
> hasn't really stabilized yet.

Hmm. After investigating the problem and possible solutions, I
really fail the see the technical merit of shipping a shared library
with a broken soname. Especially for me as a packager this is an awful
situation. One can deal with often changing sonames, it's not fun,
but if the API isn't stable yet, so be it. But a broken soname requires
some kind of workaround which will either be ugly, or much work,
or leave some use cases broken.

If only gtkpod would use libgpod, this would probably not be a 
"real" problem. But at least some audio players (amarok and rhythmbox) are
already using it, too.

So I have essentially three options:
1) I suggest to the amarok and rhythmbox maintainers that libgpod isn't
   really that stable yet and that it would probably better to not use
   it currently.
2) I try to work around the soname (by either incrementing it myself,
   in a way so that the name will not clash with later sonames used by
   you, or by only changing the package name, which kinda "simulates"
   a new soname but leaves some corner cases broken)
3) I convince you to change the soname :)

What's your opinion on this matter? Which solution would you prefer
and why?

Gruesse and TIA,
-- 
Frank Lichtenheld <djpig at debian.org>
www: http://www.djpig.de/