Hello everyone! I'd like to share an idea I had when looking at other distro'S update mechanisms for KDE repos. This idea is not necessarily changing the plans for the repository restructuring but a second step in order to solve the issue of users getting confused by the repo structure, no matter which repo structure is agreed upon. There are just too many bits that cannot be solved or explained via the structure of the repos but need some more guidance. Sven --------- Proposal: Hide the repository structure from the user. There are two types of users, update users and testing users. Update users might want: - Only security updates (recommended) - Backports only (minor risk) - minor KDE version updates (minor risk of regressions) - major KDE version updates (normal risk of regressions) + revert to KDE packages that came with [user's distro] Test users might want: (- help testing security updates) - help testing the next openSUSE version (risky) - help testing the next KDE version (very risky) The above options could be put into a systemsettings module. The user would not need to know anything about the repo structure, he just needs to know what he wants to do. The GUI enables the KDE Team to add more information and warnings while easing the testing and usage of KDE packages. And it does not have to worry about the repo structure being understandable by users. The systemsettings module would use kupdateapplet to check for changes and notify the user on KDE login. The actual repository structure could then be something like: (STABLE) KDE43 -- 11.1 -- 11.2 KDE44 -- 11.1 -- 11.2 KDE45 -- 11.1 -- 11.2 Backports -- 11.1 -- 11.2 Factory -- 11.1 -- 11.2 The module automatically picks the correct repo according to the user's settings and distro, i.e. it knows that openSUSE 11.2 was released with 4.3.5 and thus "minor updates" will always stay within KDE43 (unless the user picks scenario c)). A few scenarios: a) A 11.2 user picks "major updates", so currently he would get KDE44 and that repo would hold the 4.4.4 packages. As soon as KDE 4.5 is released, the systemsettings module package in KDE44 -- 11.2 is updated to regard KDE45 as the new repo for "major updates" and notify the user about this change on the next KDE login. If the user does not update he will stay on KDE44, i.e. be safe. b) Let's say KDE 4.5 will not work on openSUSE 11.1. Then the system settings module package in KDE44 -- 11.1 will never get updated to regard KDE45 as the repo for "major updates" and the user would be safe as well. c) A 11.2 user picks "major updates" and thus updates to KDE 4.4.4 from the KDE44 repo. After that he changes his choice to "minor updates". The systemsettings module now has to consider that although the user is on openSUSE 11.2 and has enabled "minor updates" he should still get the packages from KDE44. The same procedure would work if the user picks "help testing next KDE version" and thus updates to KDE45 but changes to "minor updates" before KDE46 is created. d) A 11.2 user wants to help testing the KDE packages for the next distro release without actually installing the new distro betas and thus picks "help testing the next openSUSE version" which will make the systemsettings module use the "Factory -- 11.2" repo. As soon as the KDE packages from Factory get released as part of a new distro version the systemsettings module package in that repo will also get updated and warn the user that the KDE version in Factory changed. e) A 11.2 user wants to help testing the next KDE version and thus picks the respective setting. He will then get KDE45 -- 11.2 and as soon as KDE SC 4.5 is released the systemsettings module package in that repo will get updated as well and warn the user. The systemsettings module cannot be part of 11.3 and I'm not sure it should be part of the distro because it might make "testing" packages too easy. So instead of it being part of the distro, the user can just install it via one- click. The GUI could look like this and include links to the wiki or another source of help and explanations: openSUSE KDE repository settings Current status and choice plus a button to execute that choice, e.g.: You are using KDE 4.4.4 and have enabled minor updates for KDE 4.4. [There are currently no new updates available] (This line depends on the user's choice below) or You are using KDE 4.3.5 and have enabled major updates for KDE [Click here to update to KDE 4.4.4] or You are using KDE 4.3.5 and have enabled updates for testing KDE for openSUSE 11.3 [Click here to update to KDE 4.4.3] or You are using KDE 4.5 RC1 and have enabled updates for testing the next KDE version. [Click here to update to KDE 4.5 RC2] or You are using KDE 4.5 RC1 and have chosen to revert to the packages that are part of openSUSE 11.2 [Click here to revert to KDE 4.3.5] If you want to update: [] Only security updates (recommended) [] Backports only, e.g. applications like amarok or digikam (minor risk) [] only minor KDE version updates, e.g. KDE 4.3.1 to KDE 4.3.5 (minor risk of regressions) [] inlcuding major KDE version updates, e.g. KDE 4.3 to KDE 4.4 (normal risk of regressions) [] revert to KDE packages that came with [user's distro] If you want to test KDE packages: ([] help testing security updates) [] help testing the next openSUSE version (risky) [] help testing the next KDE version (very risky) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-kde+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-kde+help@opensuse.org