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We, the Gentoo PHP team, are going to mask =dev-lang/php-4* [0] and all |
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packages explicitly depending on this version of php around October |
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18th (i.e. the whole dev-php4/ category (36 packages) and |
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www-apps/knowledgetree, unless there is a php5-compatible version by |
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the time of masking; bug 194894 [1]). This step is necessary as |
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there is hardly any upstream activity anymore. |
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|
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The last official version of php-4 (4.4.7) dates back to May 3rd and is |
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in the same state as php-5.2.2 security-wise (and we all know how many |
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issues php-5 has had in the past, just have a look at the recently |
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published GLSA 200710-02 [2]). |
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|
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All those security problems, which were fixed in the 5.2 branch, |
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possibly apply to the 4.4 branch as well, yet there are no (backported) |
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fixes in upstream CVS and there is no sign of an upcoming release |
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either. |
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This means, if we were to continue php-4 support we would have to do |
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the upstream work and compile a list of issues + patches. Upstream |
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developers seem to see it the same way -- "if you really want to get it |
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done - do it" was one reply when I asked what's up with php-4. No one |
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from our PHP team has the time and motivation to do that work, and as |
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such we are going to mask it (unless someone volunteers to do the work |
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and/or upstream becomes active again). |
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|
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We will still keep php-4 (and all related packages) in the tree until at |
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least the end of the year (this is the date where official upstream |
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"support" ends) and bump it if (and not "when"...) there are any |
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releases. |
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|
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We advise all users of php-4 to upgrade to php-5 as soon as possible, |
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although it may break really old PHP scripts which rely on |
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php-4 specific behaviour. Please see the upstream documentation |
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[3][4][5] for any advice on how to migrate your scripts. |
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|
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[0] http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=189172 |
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[1] http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=194894 |
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[2] http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200710-02.xml |
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[3] http://www.php.net/manual/en/migration5.php |
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[4] http://www.php.net/manual/en/migration51.php |
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[5] http://www.php.net/manual/en/migration52.php |
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|
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-- |
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Christian Hoffmann |
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Gentoo PHP herd |
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