Subject: Re: [bug#78332] GCD005: Regular and efficient releases

From: Simon Tournier <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2025 23:30:07 +0200

Hi,

On Sun, 08 Jun 2025 at 22:25, Leo Famulari <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Also, our old releases work until they don't. We want SWH to save us
> from bitrot, but our packages keep fighting us with little time bombs
> that break the build after certain dates. We need releases to keep Guix
> buildable for new installations. Guix is a build-from-source distro,
> although we hide that well.

Oh that significantly rises the bar! :-)

This could be some “Tier X“ meaning cross your fingers! ;-)

Well, if we define a scale of Tiers:

 1. Tier 1: this restricted package set runs on Linux x86_64;
 2. Tier 2: Tier 1 + these other package set;
 3. Tier 3: this restricted package set runs on Linux arm;
 4. Tier 4: etc.
 5. Tier 5: Hurd, best effort
 6. Tier 6: etc.
    …
    Tier X: full rebuild from binary seeds and fetching source code from
            Software Heritage; cross your fingers!

And having a Tier with a different physical date, etc.

I mean, this kind of thing could be part of some horizon for the next
next next … next release.  It sends the signal “we care about long term
and we do thing that might last”.  

Cheers,
simon