Re: [gentoo-project] rfc: separate /usr preparation vote

[Rich Freeman]

On Sun, Aug 18, 2013 at 10:48 PM, William Hubbs <williamh@g.o> wrote:
> Basically the status quo includes specific changes that were made in
> our packaging to allow this sort of working separate /usr without
> initramfs configuration to continue limping along, but we need to undo
> them.

Why do we have to undo them?

I can understand that implementing them was a waste of time, but that
time is already wasted.  Does it take much effort to maintain the
fixes?  For all I know they do - but could you articulate this?

I fully support that we should stop doing any more work to keep a
separate /usr working without an initramfs.  My question is why do we
need to start undoing the work that has already been done?

If you can point to some package where everytime upstream does a bump
you have to redo 47 patches to keep it working in / but it would just
work effortlessly if it were in /usr, that would be a great argument
to move it back to /usr on the next bump.  Maybe there is something
else which is causing you to waste time.

I'd just like to hear a driver for reverting the work that was already
done.  I fully get the argument that the work shouldn't have been
required in the first place.  What I don't get is now that the effort
is sunk why it needs to be ditched.  I think many would like to
understand the drivers here.

Otherwise it seems to me like the best path forward is to stop making
new fixes, but just hang onto the ones we have until they no longer
work.  At some point upstream will make a change that forces our hand,
but why not wait until then?  What does it cost us to wait?

Rich