Re: [Evolution] Version information when building from git - Was: Many strange errors after upgrading to Evolution 3.24.2?

[Ralf Mardorf <silver bullet zoho com>]

On Wed, 26 Apr 2017 15:47:02 +0200, Milan Crha wrote:
> Okay, so Arch is bleeding bleeding bleeding edge distro. Noted. And
> it's the only distribution (I know of) doing it this way. Why would one
> make changes for one ditro, not the opposite? Distro is for users, no?

The Arch Linux policy is to stay as close as possible to official
releases from upstream, using default options and without patches.
Diverions from upstream default options, adding patches or building from
git are exceptions. I suspect that there are valid reasons to make
such an exception for GNOME packages. Arch is a real rolling release,
there never is a freeze, an approach that fits to the Arch Linux target
group. It's not a so called user-friendly distro. Evolution is the only
GNOME related software I'm using and the reason for this has nothing
to do with the way Arch Linux packager maintain GNOME related packages.
I suspect the reason they make this exception for GNOME packages, is
the same reason, that I stay completely away from GNOME software,
excepted of Evolution.

> > - release tarballs are often generated with broken tools  
>
> Often?

I disagree with this claim, too. This seemingly is true for GNOME and
maybe all bloated desktop environments.

> I consider this issue closed/rejected by the Arch package maintainer.

Not really :). As already sent to the list,
https://mail.gnome.org/archives/evolution-list/2017-April/msg00135.html ,
the maintainer is willing to add -DVERSION_SUBSTRING= and/or
-DVERSION_COMMENT= to the build process, including the git commit, but
not to care about to early increased upstream versions.

Regards,
Ralf