DapperStandardsBase

Revision 9 as of 2005-11-05 17:02:16

Clear message

Summary

With only a little extra work, we can make a Standerds Base by providing a set of dapper features that will be supported in every further Ubuntu release for five years.

This standards base should specify the library APIs that can be used (old libraries can be shipped in a compat section or pocket of further releases) and also focus on the system APIs (how do you add your program to Applications, etc.) that we will support in Ubuntu releases (through packages in the compat section or pocket). This BOF should outline those APIs and provide a specification for writing the DapperStandardsBase document.

Rationale

Dapper will be supported for five years, which makes it a great thing for vendors that which to support their software on Ubuntu.

Use cases

* Sue from Oracle wants to certify that their DBMS runs on Ubuntu, and they don't want to have to recertify every release or update.

Scope

Design

Implementation

Code

Data preservation and migration

Outstanding issues

Do we support the whole thing for five years, or do we try to split out a server api from desktop api stuff?

There are interesting questions about kernal ABI compatability changes over security releases. Sometimes the ABI change is required.

BoF agenda and discussion

Dapper Standards Base comes out to the fact that ISV's will not certify on an extra "compat" repository.

Users can usually just make things work by editing their repositories to get "backwards compatability" by adding Dapper to their repository list.

So, even if this isn't much work it does not generate anything significant that is worth doing.

Oracle FAQ about linux: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/linux/htdocs/oracleonlinux_faq.html