Re: [Koha-devel] new database update mecanism

[MJ Ray]

Pierrick LE GALL <address@hidden>
> MJ Ray <address@hidden> wrote:
> > 1. model the updates on sysV init scripts, so they can be started
> > and stopped/applied and removed as needed by an upgrade;
> 
> It seems far more complicated than what I thought first. sysV init
> scripts are started at each server start/stop.

Not necessarily. It depends how you configure them.

> Updates I propose are executed only once.

I agree, but I would like to both apply(start) and reverse(stop)
them if possible, so sysadmins and beta testers can "back out"
easily.

> > 2. the new updates notification should require deliberate action
> > by the superlibrarian, else we may be violating user's privacy
> > (also known as a "phone home" problem).
> 
> As I imagined it, update mechanism will be usefull among developers and
> after a minor upgrade (between 3.0.1 and 3.0.2 for example). In this
> condition, I really don't think developers and upgraders will feel
> their privacy has been violated by Koha update notifier, does it?

I don't know. I think Koha should not "phone home" without asking,
because that is against some network policies. Privacy violation by
default would be bad publicity for the project.

> - updates/12-isbn_on_13_chars.update
> - updates/23-deletion_of_marc_tables.update
> 
> No problem for me to allow any filename as long as it starts with an
> identification number.

Great!

> > Take a look at dpatch if you have a debian system nearby.
> > http://alioth.debian.org/projects/dpatch/ - I'm sure there's
> > been criticism of it, but I didn't locate it in a web search.
> 
> I've tried to find information but I didn't (dpatch website is very
> poor). Anyway, I'm not sure we have the same problem to solve than
> Debian packages. Maybe I missed something.

dpatch lets debian packagers apply and unapply updates to the
software being packaged. It seemed a similar problem to applying
updates to a database. I can't find a good website that explains
dpatch, which is a pain. I'll ask around.

Hope that helps,
-- 
MJ Ray - personal email, see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Work: http://www.ttllp.co.uk/  irc.oftc.net/slef  Jabber/SIP ask