On Wed, Nov 28, 2018 at 12:12 PM Peter Robinson <pbrobinson@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > On Wed, Nov 28, 2018 at 8:07 AM Brian (bex) Exelbierd > <bexelbie@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > On Wed, Nov 28, 2018 at 4:15 AM Brendan Conoboy <blc@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > Paul's proposal was definitely a one-time pause for the reasons you > > > state. He requested we follow-up with additional questions and > > > suggestions so I'm questioning and suggesting taking it a step > > > further. We talk about rolling releases, but people are skeptical due > > > to rawhide instability. What does it look like if the "rolling" > > > happens on top of an otherwise stable platform where fundamentals like > > > compilers, libraries and core system tools are held steady, but things > > > on top move fast? Maybe you don't need an F30.1, maybe it means F30 > > > just keeps getting nice incremental updates for as long as the > > > editions want to stick with it. Variable lifecycle or cadence can > > > open up these kinds of options. Some things are better fast. Some > > > things are better slow. > > > > This. Yes This. +100 > > > > I think that Fedora's role as an innovater in the OS space means we > > should be aggressively exploring this. Rolling Releases, Tech-Driven > > Releases and Time-Based Releases all have well known positives and > > negatives. All of the work that has been done on Modularity, > > containers, flatpaks, OSTree, and more, gives us the opportunity to > > really re-think this. While it is true there are dozens (or more) > > additional solutions to the too-fast/too-slow and the > > incompatible-libraries problems, these technologies seem to be gaining > > the most adoption across a variety of use cases. They are all also > > generally well supported in Fedora and we need to aggressively push > > them to achieve this goal or determine where the dead-end is so we can > > move to the next innovation. > > > > I personal am hugely in favor of us adopting a bootable-base model > > that allows us to iterate the kernel and the various user-space pieces > > at the speed of the upstream, the user's desires and the builder's > > desires[^0] all at the same time. While this will require us to do > > some level of NxM matrix building and testing, a base that didn't have > > to change often for most use cases reduces the matrix considerably. > > The above doesn't make sense, you're saying "move as fast as upstream" > and "a base that doesn't change" in the same context, which is it? I've failed to be clear - sorry about that. Let me try again. Please remember that I tend think from the lens of user space, not kernel space. So there may be detail errors in this, I am hoping the concepts are valid though. In general, I can run various versions of my applications against multiple different kernels, for example. Therefore, if I have a kernel that changed once a year, it isn't going to, for many applications, stop me from changing versions multiple times during the year. Therefore if Fedora had a stabilized bootable base, I could move my applications at the cadence of upstream, or a stabilized release (not at all) or at the speed in the middle I want. Fedora might not build the entire range of that, but I am not prevented from choosing amongst multiple Fedora provided options (stable vs devel or all supported upstream releases, for example). The bootable base would change based on Fedora's needs. Perhaps we decide want to new kernels (again sorry for my failings in this field) every 6 months to introduce new drivers and hardware support. Someone who wants faster can self-build for their community/needs more frequently or a hardware vendor might want a kernel that doesn't change as often and is backported. Fedora may not build the whole range here either. > > I'd push Brendans' concept further and suggest that we try to > > eliminate as many of the compilers, libraries and core system tools as > > possible from this bootable-base so that those can iterate at their > > own speed, perhaps 4 year for a laptop vendor and 30 day for a > > experimental ARM device. Fedora as a project might not build output > > for the whole range, but a build system that allowed us to help others > > be successful would be a huge help here. > > Again what do you even mean by eliminate the compilers? Also how do we > not change something core, such as a compiler, for 4 years while also > change it every 30 days? "Eliminate the compilers" was meant to mean, make them modules or non-bootable base components as much as possible. I realize that for something like glibc that can be hard to impossible and for things like Fortran a non-issue. Communities have different needs, and every time we freeze or force change we create challenges for those needs to be met. My point is that by keeping our base to the "light up the machine level (another hated idiom) and get containers/flatpaks/etc running" we can allow the builder to focus on their community's needs or the user to get their own too-fast/too-slow balance. What I'd like to forego is the long "what is base" conversation. I'd pull it back to what does it take to boot the machine and get containers/flatpaks/modules running. Everything after that should be flexible, even if we put down requirements and rules for the use cases we want to tackle and the pieces we build and deliver. > > I recognize that I, like most people, see the world through the lens > > of my specific use case, but remember, "Fedora creates an innovative > > platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software > > developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their > > users." As long as we don't block a use cases arbitrarily and we > > leave room for that innovation and service we are doing the right > > thing. The debate about what use cases should be done fully by > > Fedora, enabled for a SIG/WG via our build system or done externally > > by those using only the parts that make sense for them is a separate > > debate. > > I agree on some of your points above, but TBH most of it reads like > some form of marketing coolaid! Marketing Koolaid (in the interesting and love sense, not the pejorative) would be really good for Fedora right now, if we want increased adoption and contribution. Flexibility to allow our mission statement to keep being true is critical. I fully admit that my skills are not in distribution building and that you and others in this thread have those skills in greater capacity than I do. But I don't hear anyone starting from the premise of our mission statement and then moving forward. I feel like a build/distribution focused on easing the build process and ability to provide across the full too-fast/too-slow spectrum, even if we as a project don't fill the whole spectrum, is crucial to Fedora's ongoing success. regards, bex > Also it does account at all for any and/or all of the resources that > we'd need to even enact some of this, even if it's possible? > > > > 0: Builder's desires are the desires of the person who put the entire > > system together to fulfill the needs of their community per our > > mission statement. If my mythical llama herders need the oldest Libre > > Office possible but the newest Rust packaging and whatever random > > version of httpd that Fedora deems "stable", then that is what I > > desire, even if the upstream or other non-llama herding users desire > > something different. However, I'd also push that we should try to > > reach a point where if a llama herder for non-llama reasons needs a > > different httpd, they can just enable and use it (using the language > > of modularity). In case it isn't clear, the "builder's desires" > > includes the goals of every current lab, spin, and edition, separately > > and where appropriate together. > > _______________________________________________ > > devel mailing list -- devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > To unsubscribe send an email to devel-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > Fedora Code of Conduct: https://getfedora.org/code-of-conduct.html > > List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines > > List Archives: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > _______________________________________________ > devel mailing list -- devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To unsubscribe send an email to devel-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > Fedora Code of Conduct: https://getfedora.org/code-of-conduct.html > List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines > List Archives: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- Brian (bex) Exelbierd | bexelbie@xxxxxxxxxx | bex@xxxxxxxxx Fedora Community Action & Impact Coordinator @bexelbie | http://www.winglemeyer.org _______________________________________________ devel mailing list -- devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe send an email to devel-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Fedora Code of Conduct: https://getfedora.org/code-of-conduct.html List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines List Archives: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
