MinGW versions of openSUSE libraries

[Roger Oberholtzer]

I really like the idea of the MinGW version of libraries and other
things on openSUSE that is available in OBS. I am planning on moving
some of the Windows libs that I maintain to using the ones in OBS.

However, (there had to be a however, right?) I am a bit confused:

There are on OBS versions of, say, libtiff, for openSUSE and for
Windows. Interestingly, there is a MinGW repository for each release of
openSUSE. For example, windows:/mingw:/win32/openSUSE_11.2

I would think that the reason for having different versions of the MinGW
repos is that each can contain a version that matches the version
installed in the corresponding openSUSE release.

Alas, that is not the case. For example, on openSUSE 11.2, libtiff is at
version 3.8.2, while the MinGW version is 3.9.4.

This is the case for many, perhaps even most, libraries. If the version
in the windows:/mingw:/win32/openSUSE_XX.X directory has nothing to do
with the version of that library installed in openSUSE_XX.X, why are
there version for each openSUSE release?
--
Roger Oberholtzer

OPQ Systems / Ramböll RST

Ramböll Sverige AB
Krukmakargatan 21
P.O. Box 17009
SE-104 62 Stockholm, Sweden

Office: Int [phone]
Mobile: Int [phone]

[David C. Rankin]

Post by Roger Oberholtzer
I really like the idea of the MinGW version of libraries and other
things on openSUSE that is available in OBS. I am planning on moving
some of the Windows libs that I maintain to using the ones in OBS.
There are on OBS versions of, say, libtiff, for openSUSE and for
Windows. Interestingly, there is a MinGW repository for each release of
openSUSE. For example, windows:/mingw:/win32/openSUSE_11.2
I would think that the reason for having different versions of the MinGW
repos is that each can contain a version that matches the version
installed in the corresponding openSUSE release.
Alas, that is not the case. For example, on openSUSE 11.2, libtiff is at
version 3.8.2, while the MinGW version is 3.9.4.
This is the case for many, perhaps even most, libraries. If the version
in the windows:/mingw:/win32/openSUSE_XX.X directory has nothing to do
with the version of that library installed in openSUSE_XX.X, why are
there version for each openSUSE release?

Dunno, but from experience, use caution when using the mingw repository and then
doing a zypper up. With 11.0, the mingw lib versions were 1-2 versions newer
than 11.0. 90% of them worked just fine, but the other 10% were not backwards
compatible and broke things.... Yast/zypper didn't always catch the dependency
issues.
--
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
510 Ochiltree Street
Nacogdoches, Texas 75961
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
www.rankinlawfirm.com

[Roger Oberholtzer]

Post by David C. Rankin
Dunno, but from experience, use caution when using the mingw repository and then
doing a zypper up. With 11.0, the mingw lib versions were 1-2 versions newer
than 11.0. 90% of them worked just fine, but the other 10% were not backwards
compatible and broke things.... Yast/zypper didn't always catch the dependency
issues.

This is what I am wondering about. Is it the intention that they always
be the latest even in non-Factory folders? This sort of breaks the whole
OBS layout philosophy where things in the various same-named
OpenSUSEXX.X folders all work together. Ming32 is clearly violating
this. Or perhaps I have misunderstood this concept.
--
Roger Oberholtzer

OPQ Systems / Ramböll RST

Ramböll Sverige AB
Krukmakargatan 21
P.O. Box 17009
SE-104 62 Stockholm, Sweden

Office: Int [phone]
Mobile: Int [phone]

[Roger Oberholtzer]

Ask the maintainer, fstrba.

I will do this. But is my general belief that the things in the various
same-named OpenSUSEXX.X folders should, in a perfect world, all work
together? Of course, what it means to 'work together' surely is not
globally defined for all OPB repos. But if that is not, at some level,
the intention in OBS, then my question is moot. It just seems odd that
openSUSE11.2, openSUSE11.3 and Factory would all have the same new
release of something, even when openSUSE11.2 and openSUSE11.3 are each
at some earlier distro-specific release.
--
Roger Oberholtzer

OPQ Systems / Ramböll RST

Ramböll Sverige AB
Krukmakargatan 21
P.O. Box 17009
SE-104 62 Stockholm, Sweden

Office: Int [phone]
Mobile: Int [phone]

[David C. Rankin]

Post by Roger Oberholtzer

Post by David C. Rankin
Dunno, but from experience, use caution when using the mingw repository and then
doing a zypper up. With 11.0, the mingw lib versions were 1-2 versions newer
than 11.0. 90% of them worked just fine, but the other 10% were not backwards
compatible and broke things.... Yast/zypper didn't always catch the dependency
issues.

This is what I am wondering about. Is it the intention that they always
be the latest even in non-Factory folders? This sort of breaks the whole
OBS layout philosophy where things in the various same-named
OpenSUSEXX.X folders all work together. Ming32 is clearly violating
this. Or perhaps I have misunderstood this concept.

I never figured that one out either. I don't know why the versions were that
much newer in mingw. My understanding was that mingw was sort of separate from
the rest of OBS and just focused on the latest build environment libraries,
etc.. I never figured out why the versions for say 11.0 or 11.1 wouldn't
actually work well with its intended version of opensuse from a dependency
standpoint. I just came to view it as "mingw had the 'current' versions of the
packages, while opensuse was always 1-3 minor versions behind." From that
standpoint mingw really didn't fit into the OBS framework for opensuse_11.x
because it would break things or cause dependency hell if you enabled it as a
repository.

I'm sure there is an reason why that it so, but so far it escapes explanation.
Maybe some of the mingw folks can chime in and help us out??
--
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
510 Ochiltree Street
Nacogdoches, Texas 75961
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
www.rankinlawfirm.com

[Marcus Meissner]

Post by David C. Rankin

Post by Roger Oberholtzer

Post by David C. Rankin
Dunno, but from experience, use caution when using the mingw repository and then
doing a zypper up. With 11.0, the mingw lib versions were 1-2 versions newer
than 11.0. 90% of them worked just fine, but the other 10% were not backwards
compatible and broke things.... Yast/zypper didn't always catch the dependency
issues.

This is what I am wondering about. Is it the intention that they always
be the latest even in non-Factory folders? This sort of breaks the whole
OBS layout philosophy where things in the various same-named
OpenSUSEXX.X folders all work together. Ming32 is clearly violating
this. Or perhaps I have misunderstood this concept.

I never figured that one out either. I don't know why the versions were that
much newer in mingw. My understanding was that mingw was sort of separate from
the rest of OBS and just focused on the latest build environment libraries,
etc.. I never figured out why the versions for say 11.0 or 11.1 wouldn't
actually work well with its intended version of opensuse from a dependency
standpoint. I just came to view it as "mingw had the 'current' versions of the
packages, while opensuse was always 1-3 minor versions behind." From that
standpoint mingw really didn't fit into the OBS framework for opensuse_11.x
because it would break things or cause dependency hell if you enabled it as a
repository.
I'm sure there is an reason why that it so, but so far it escapes explanation.
Maybe some of the mingw folks can chime in and help us out??

Ask the maintainer, fstrba.

Ciao, Marcus