[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Proposal to change Evergreen versioning scheme

[Lazar, Alexey Vladimirovich]

Thank you, Joe. You explained with so much clarity exactly what I was trying to say about comparing Evergreen with Linux, PostgreSQL, or other FOSS projects.

On 2013-01-04, at 15:15 , Joe <knuevejo at oplin.org> wrote:

> I wasn't planning on jumping into this conversation, but as someone who is not truly a tech professional, but has been thrust into the role over the last few years, I think the one important point to make about Evergreen versus Linux or SQL is that what version I'm running seems to matter much more for whether the system responds the way you expect it to in Evergreen than in those programs.  
> 
> For instance, in my library I have at least 6 instances of linux running, and at least 4 of them are running MySQL.  I can't possibly tell you what version of the linux kernel any of them are running, or what version of MySQL.  In fact, I'd be luckly to accurately remember which version of Debian or Ubuntu they have.  It's probable that they are running at least three versions of MySQL and 4 or 5 versions of the linux kernel.  That said, when I go to access the desktop (on those with a gui) they all respond more or less the same and when I go into the command line, all of the commands that I can remember off hand work the same in all of them.  
> 
> Meanwhile, I would suspect that I would notice the difference between Evergreen 1.6 and 2.3.  My staff have noticed the difference between 2.1 and 2.3 in the minor changes in the things the staff interface does, not even mentioning jspac versus tpac...  
> 
> The thing is the way we interact with Evergreen, and how changes impact us, matters more to library staff than changes in the linux kernal matter to ordinary linux users.  
> 
> I suppose I don't have a strong opinion either way, however, if it were my decision, I prefer release numbering that maintains some short-hand of how large of a jump the change is, not necessarily just incorporating new versions of it's dependencies.  After all, will the new version appear to be the same to the front line staff users or will it be radically different?  
> 
> Just my two cents worth. 
> 
> Have a good day.
> 
> Joe
> 
> Joseph Knueven
> Director
> Germantown Public Library
> 51 N. Plum St.
> Germantown, OH 45327
> 937-696-9998x10
> 
> knuevejo at oplin.org
> On 1/4/2013 3:55 PM, Rogan Hamby wrote:
>> I will concur with Lebbeous that library directors  do learn about PostgreSQL and Linux - not in the same way, not based on the same data points that a systems administrator does but they do.  And that's a bit of my point, the versioning is a data point short cut for them, a short hand if you will to communicate things that we sit down and dig in more depth for.  And I say we here, but my day job is actually not IT but as an administrator (HR, ordering books, etc...) and I can tell you that directors and others are interested in FOSS and they do know names like Linux and SQL.
>> 
>> 
>> On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 3:48 PM, Lebbeous Fogle-Weekley <lebbeous at esilibrary.com> wrote:
>> Alexey,
>> 
>> I think you're way off when you say that there's a wider audience dealing with Evergreen directly than with PostgreSQL and Linux.  You must know that the former has many thousands of direct users, and the latter millions.
>> 
>> Plenty of people concerned with those projects are in the management layer at various organizations that use F/LOSS for all kinds of things.  It's odd to me that you suggest that Evergreen is special in that library                 directors and other people besides developers are interested in it.  That situation isn't unique to Evergreen at all.
>> 
>> 
>> On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 3:39 PM, Lazar, Alexey Vladimirovich <alexey.lazar at mnsu.edu> wrote:
>> 
>> On 2013-01-04, at 14:23 , Rogan Hamby <rogan.hamby at yclibrary.net>
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> > As a postscript,
>> >
>> > P.S.
>> >
>> > My previous statements are not an argument against change.  As I said before, I have nothing against eating my liver hash (apologies to those who like liver) for greater health but I want the benefit to be clear and substantial for the hassle I can guarantee you I (and others) will have.
>> 
>> Hi, Rogan. Why would there be any more hassle than during a regular upgrade to a new version?
>> 
>> Aleksey Lazar
>> PALS
>> IS Developer and Intergrator
>> 507-389-2907
>> http://www.pals.org/
>> alexey.lazar at mnsu.edu
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Lebbeous Fogle-Weekley
>>  | Software Developer
>>  | Equinox Software, Inc. / The Open Source Experts
>>  | phone:  1-877-OPEN-ILS (673-6457)
>>  | email:  lebbeous at esilibrary.com
>>  | web:  http://www.esilibrary.com
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> ----------------------------
>> Rogan Hamby
>> Headquarters Manager, York County Library System
>> 
>> “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” 
>> ― C.S. Lewis
> 

Aleksey Lazar
PALS
IS Developer and Intergrator
507-389-2907
http://www.pals.org/
alexey.lazar at mnsu.edu