[QGIS-trac] [Quantum GIS] #1586: status of QGIS SONAMEs

[Quantum GIS]

#1586: status of QGIS SONAMEs
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   Reporter:  pcav                              |              Owner:  jef          
       Type:  enhancement                       |             Status:  new          
   Priority:  major: does not work as expected  |          Milestone:  Version 1.0.2
  Component:  Build/Install                     |            Version:  HEAD         
   Keywords:                                    |   Platform_version:               
   Platform:  Debian                            |           Must_fix:  No           
Status_info:  0                                 |  
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 On the basis of a brief discussion about Qgis 1.0.x libraries this is
 the current point of view by Debian packagers about the status of
 Qgis SONAMEs.

 Currently 1.0.1 uses

 Core library:

   SONAME               libqgis_core.so.1.0

 Non-core that depends on core:

   SONAME               libqgis_gui.so.1.0
   SONAME               libqgispython.so.1.0

 Plugins that depends on core/non-core:

   SONAME               libcoordinatecaptureplugin.so
   SONAME               libcopyrightlabelplugin.so
   SONAME               libdelimitedtextplugin.so
   SONAME               libdelimitedtextprovider.so
   SONAME               libdxf2shpconverterplugin.so
   SONAME               libgeorefplugin.so
   SONAME               libgpsimporterplugin.so
   SONAME               libgpxprovider.so
   SONAME               libgridmakerplugin.so
   SONAME               libinterpolationplugin.so
   SONAME               libmemoryprovider.so
   SONAME               libnortharrowplugin.so
   SONAME               libogrconverterplugin.so
   SONAME               libogrprovider.so
   SONAME               libpostgresprovider.so
   SONAME               libquickprintplugin.so
   SONAME               libscalebarplugin.so
   SONAME               libspitplugin.so
   SONAME               libwfsplugin.so
   SONAME               libwfsprovider.so
   SONAME               libwmsprovider.so

 Now, someone said that API for 1.x is frozen, but ABI could change at
 every
 release, i.e. 1.1 would break 1.0 ABI compatibility (is that confirmed?).

 That justifies the use of a 1.0 versioning of SONAMEs, but implies that
 debian/control uses the wrong name for libqgis*, which should be
 libqgis1.0
 currently instead and libqgis1.1 for Qgis 1.1.x.
 It is due to avoid problems with selective upgrades and third-parties
 plugins (it is considered a serious bug FYI, because violates Debian
 Policy).

 If ABI could change for each patchlevel, 1.x.y should be used in SONAMEs,
 and package names should change as consequence. So what's definitively
 required is fixing a roadmap for API/ABI changes, and following it,
 in order to allow distributors doing their work and avoid problems
 to other developers and users.

 Same considerations apply to Python interface per se, IF both
 API and/or ABI changes could be expected independently on the C++
 interfaces
 (e.g. if python interfaces changed more rapidly).
 In that case python related packages should declare their interface level,
 to avoid dangerous mixing with compiled objects. At least currently it is
 NOT expected on the basis of current package style. But is this true?

 Those are currently the major blockers to even _think_ of having Qgis in
 Debian again. A well-defined policy need to be stated and followed.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/qgis/ticket/1586>
Quantum GIS <http://qgis.org>
Quantum GIS is an Open Source GIS viewer/editor supporting OGR, PostGIS, and GRASS formats