[tlbuild] running TL24 pretest on OpenBSD

[Robert Alessi]

On Mon, Feb 19, 2024 at 02:24:28PM -0700, Karl Berry wrote:
>     every version requires new binaries. 
>     This is the main reason why Karl 
> 
> Indeed.
> 
> Given this, I think it is more sensible for the binaries to be built and
> distributed with openbsd, rather than in TL.
> 
> As I recall, that is what Edd Barrett used to (or still?) does, for
> exactly this reason. --best, karl.

Edd Barrett still does this, and does it very well.  So OpenBSD users
are in about the same position as those of Windows, MacOS, Linux,
etc. except that they cannot benefit from texlive.

It is true that (almost) every version requires new binaries.
Norbert, since 2.0, OpenBSD numbers releases sequentially,
incrementing by .1 with every release from n.1 to n.9, then to
(n+1).0.  So a .0 release has no special meaning and by no means
should be regarded as a "major" release.  All that can be said is that
a tagged snapshot is no more than a high-quality one.

Which brings me to the point I would try to make here:—

When a critical bug is found in OpenBSD, either in the base system or
in the ports, a fix is committed to the -current tree and backported
to the two most recent OpenBSD releases.  As a result, running eg. x.y
at the time when x.(y+2) has been released is fine, and I know quite a
number of people who are doing this.

So in my opinion, *if* texlive were to provide binaries for OpenBSD
once a year, then it would suffice to clearly warn users not to
upgrade their systems, failing which the programs provided by texlive,
*and only these* would break.  After all, users are expected to be
grown-ups, and should they want to upgrade they'll understand that
they'll have to revert to the ported texlive.

Seen from the texlive side, the answer to OpenBSD's development model
would then just be:  “We don't care, as long as users are forewarned,
we just provide a sensible option.”

To these points, a final one could be added: to those who would like
to play the bold, a kind soul could provide *external* help say every
six months, something like:

	  # i_broke_tl_please_fetch_updated_binaries.sh

At any rate, I would then gladly extend my services as a kind soul!

I say no more, except to thank you once again for your time, Karl,
Norbert, Nelson, Mojca and others!

-- Robert