[mpc-dev] Remediation support and MPC target platforms

[Carsten Reckord <reckord@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

P2 has introduced the concept of remediation in its M7 release, assisting
users with resolution strategies when dependency resolution fails.

Pascal Rapicault was so nice to submit a patch to enable remediation in MPC:
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=406907

The patch is looking very good and we'll be able to add working remediation
support for our M7 release, with Pascal working on an even more streamlined
remediation workflow for RC1 or earlier.


This has brought up the question of supported target platforms however:

We currently target all Eclipse releases starting with Helios with a single
MPC release. For new API that we want to use - like the remediation API -
this usually means using reflection to check for its presence and to avoid
runtime dependencies. On the plus side, it also means avoiding maintenance
branches and backporting bugfixes or new features.

I'd like to ask opinions on this practice. Do you think we should

a) keep targeting all Eclipse releases with a single MPC codebase, adding
complexity for using new API, but simplifying maintenance otherwise?
b) target only the current Eclipse release with new MPC releases, only
backporting important bugfixes to maintenance versions? This would simplify
including new features, but increase maintenance overhead for older platforms.

Given the current commit activity, both would be doable.

Personally, I think with the project plan supposedly fixed since M6,
specifying >= 3.6 compatibility, and the final release just a couple of
weeks ahead, it's a bit late to change this now.

Also, it comes down to just how many users are out there using MPC with old
releases - I have no idea, but in my experience there's still a fair amount
of Indigo and Helios users out there...


Best,
Carsten

-- 
Carsten Reckord
  t  +49 561 5743277-33
  f  +49 561 5743277-8833
  e  reckord@xxxxxxxx

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