Incompatible Unison update

[Andrew Farris]

Les Mikesell wrote:
> Callum Lerwick wrote:
>> On Thu, 2008-02-21 at 09:14 -0700, Stephen Warren wrote:
>>> The unison package in Fedora 8 was recently updated to an incompatible
>>> version, which breaks (previously working) interoperability of F8 with
>>> other systems that have the older Unison version.
>>>
>>> See the details at:
>>>
>>> https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=433742
>>>
>>> I assume I'm correct in saying this was the wrong thing to do. What is
>>> other people's take on this?
>>
>> Upstream should be dragged out into the street and shot.
>>
>> (Note: big fat -> :)
> 
> Forget the :).  If you can't keep your wire protocol compatible, it's 
> not the same program anymore so just change the name and stop confusing 
> everyone.  And if you are inventing something new, please exchange a 
> protocol level indicator so you'll be able to support different remote 
> versions later instead of forcing the whole world to change on the same 
> day.

I've used unison for awhile, and quite frankly this happens all the time.  To 
handle consistent sync you need to match the versions being used on both sides 
exactly and keep them there.  I've had it break numerous times changing versions 
within 'compatible' version ranges.  Changing those versions means you have to 
take what currently exists and assume it is in sync the first time you run the 
new version.  This is just how things have been going with unison.

-- 
Andrew Farris <lordmorgul at gmail.com> www.lordmorgul.net
  gpg 0xC99B1DF3 fingerprint CDEC 6FAD BA27 40DF 707E A2E0 F0F6 E622 C99B 1DF3
No one now has, and no one will ever again get, the big picture. - Daniel Geer
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