Clean out or vault old ncurses test versions

[Brian Inglis]

On 2023-10-21 14:15, Jon Turney via Cygwin-apps wrote:
> On 21/10/2023 20:00, Brian Inglis via Cygwin-apps wrote:
>> On 2023-10-21 11:20, cygwin-no-reply-rDBXBDvO6BXQT0dZR+AlfA@public.gmane.org 
>> wrote:
>>> ERROR: 
>>> x86_64/release/ncurses/libncurses++w10/libncurses++w10-6.4-4.20231016.tar.xz 
>>> is both uploaded and automatically vaulted
>>> ERROR: 
> [..]
>>> SUMMARY: 19 ERROR(s)
> 
> So, the reason why this confusing error is being emitted is because you are 
> trying to upload a test version 6.4-4.20231016, which is less than the existing 
> 6.4-12.20230715 and 6.4-13.20230729 test versions.
> 
> The default keep-count-test value is 2 (keep the two latest test versions), so 
> it would be expired immediately after upload.
> 
> This is an error, because that's not something sensible to do, and usually 
> indicates a mistake somewhere along the line.
> 
>> Thinking that ncurses i-i.net releases would pause at some point, I have been 
>> incrementing the release number and appending the date throughout this year, 
>> but it appears not, so I would now like to reset the primary release number to 
>> the next after current stable 6.4-3.20230114 and use primary release 
>> 6.4-4.2023???? as my test prefix which I would like to make current stable 
>> some time soon!
> 
> I'm quite clear on what this means, but this seems to be a problem of upstream's 
> making, if it really is releasing multiple versions called "6.4" (with some 
> date/patch level that isn't part of it's version label)
> 
> (e.g. look at https://repology.org/project/ncurses/information where there's 
> lots of variants on 6.4.x and no way to compare them because individual distros 
> make them up in different ways...)
> 
>> Is there any way I can blow away my old test releases 6.4-5.2023... thru 
>> 6.4-13.2023... so I can reset the sequence, like listing a bunch of obsoletes 
>> somehow:
> 
> The problem with the concept of "reset the sequence" is that version-release 
> identifiers have an ordering.
> 
> Anyone who already has these test releases installed, won't (ordinarily) get 
> downgraded to a lesser version.
> 
>>      6.4-5.20230514
>>      6.4-6.20230520
>>      6.4-7.20230603
>>      6.4-8.20230617
>>      6.4-9.20230625
>>      6.4-10.20230701
>>      6.4-11.20230708
>>      6.4-12.20230715
>>      6.4-13.20230729
>>
>> or could someone kind person please do whatever is required if I can not do so?
> 
> That said, you can use ssh vault command [1] to expunge versions that are no 
> longer required.
> 
> (and see the caveat there about how setup won't automatically downgrade from 
> removed versions)
> 
> If you really care about that, you could then upload appropriate override.hint 
> files (note that you need one per subpackage) with a replace-version: line 
> indicating the withdrawn version-release(s).
> 
> (It's unclear to me if this second step is really worth the effort, given that 
> only the presumably small number of people who install ncurses test releases are 
> affected.)
> 
> [1]  https://cygwin.com/package-upload.html#deleting

Thanks Jon,

I was unaware that useful command had been added.

> Finally: you don't need to scrimp and save integers.  I happen to have an 
> inexhaustible supply of monotonically increasing ones...

As does ncurses unfortunately; had I known they would be updating almost weekly, 
I would have used the approach I am now going for, rather than the pattern 
established earlier with less frequent updates.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer     but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry