Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?

[Ian Jackson]

Emilio Pozuelo Monfort writes ("Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?"):
> On 19/10/16 17:37, Ian Jackson wrote:
> > There are no changes between 4.7 and 4.8 that would upset any of the
> > rdeps.  So, great, thanks.
> 
> What about between 4.6 and 4.[78]? As we currently have 4.6 in the archive.

The 4.6 that is currently in stretch is in very bad shape.  It could
perhaps be fixed but I don't think it's a good idea.  It will have a
very limited upstream support lifetime.

But in any case I don't think 4.7 will be a problem for the rdeps
either.  I explicitly checked libvirt (which is the biggest risk) and
it's fine - although it will need a rebuild.

> > 
> > I don't know how long it will take me.  But I work for Citrix as part
> > of the Xen Project upstream, and this is currently my top priority.
> > So I'm hoping to have something RSN, in a matter of (working) days.
> 
> Great! Let us know when you have more news, preferably in a transition bug :-)

Ack.

Regards,
Ian.

-- 
Ian Jackson <ijack...@chiark.greenend.org.uk>   These opinions are my own.

If I emailed you from an address @fyvzl.net or @evade.org.uk, that is
a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.

Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?

[Emilio Pozuelo Monfort]

On 19/10/16 17:37, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Emilio Pozuelo Monfort writes ("Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?"):
>> On 19/10/16 16:54, Ian Jackson wrote:
>>> Sorry to hassle you, but I would appreciate an opinion so that I can
>>> get started on the integration work etc.
>>
>> Assuming the rdeps are fine with Xen 4.8, then I'd be all for moving
>> to it.
> 
> There are no changes between 4.7 and 4.8 that would upset any of the
> rdeps.  So, great, thanks.

What about between 4.6 and 4.[78]? As we currently have 4.6 in the archive.

>> Xen is a security sensitive package and I think it'd be good
>> to get the extra security support from upstream. Note the transition
>> freeze will start soon. Do you have an idea of how long it may take
>> to prepare for this?
> 
> I don't know how long it will take me.  But I work for Citrix as part
> of the Xen Project upstream, and this is currently my top priority.
> So I'm hoping to have something RSN, in a matter of (working) days.

Great! Let us know when you have more news, preferably in a transition bug :-)

Cheers,
Emilio

Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?

[Ian Jackson]

Emilio Pozuelo Monfort writes ("Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?"):
> On 19/10/16 16:54, Ian Jackson wrote:
> > Sorry to hassle you, but I would appreciate an opinion so that I can
> > get started on the integration work etc.
> 
> Assuming the rdeps are fine with Xen 4.8, then I'd be all for moving
> to it.

There are no changes between 4.7 and 4.8 that would upset any of the
rdeps.  So, great, thanks.

> Xen is a security sensitive package and I think it'd be good
> to get the extra security support from upstream. Note the transition
> freeze will start soon. Do you have an idea of how long it may take
> to prepare for this?

I don't know how long it will take me.  But I work for Citrix as part
of the Xen Project upstream, and this is currently my top priority.
So I'm hoping to have something RSN, in a matter of (working) days.

Thanks,
Ian.

-- 
Ian Jackson <ijack...@chiark.greenend.org.uk>   These opinions are my own.

If I emailed you from an address @fyvzl.net or @evade.org.uk, that is
a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.

Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?

[Emilio Pozuelo Monfort]

On 19/10/16 16:54, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Ian Jackson writes ("Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?"):
>> Hi.  I was wanting an initial opinion from the Release Team, about the
>> Xen packages.  Currently they are in bad shape in stretch and I intend
>> to fix them ASAP.
>>
>> The question is whether I should move to Xen 4.7, or Xen 4.8.
> 
> I just asked the Xen Project's Release Manager and their current best
> guess is that Xen 4.8.0 will be released in "early to mid November".
> 
> Sorry to hassle you, but I would appreciate an opinion so that I can
> get started on the integration work etc.

Assuming the rdeps are fine with Xen 4.8, then I'd be all for moving to it. Xen
is a security sensitive package and I think it'd be good to get the extra
security support from upstream. Note the transition freeze will start soon. Do
you have an idea of how long it may take to prepare for this?

Cheers,
Emilio

Re: Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?

[Ian Jackson]

Ian Jackson writes ("Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?"):
> Hi.  I was wanting an initial opinion from the Release Team, about the
> Xen packages.  Currently they are in bad shape in stretch and I intend
> to fix them ASAP.
> 
> The question is whether I should move to Xen 4.7, or Xen 4.8.

I just asked the Xen Project's Release Manager and their current best
guess is that Xen 4.8.0 will be released in "early to mid November".

Sorry to hassle you, but I would appreciate an opinion so that I can
get started on the integration work etc.

Thanks,
Ian.

-- 
Ian Jackson <ijack...@chiark.greenend.org.uk>   These opinions are my own.

If I emailed you from an address @fyvzl.net or @evade.org.uk, that is
a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.

Xen in stretch - 4.7 or 4.8 ?

[Ian Jackson]

Hi.  I was wanting an initial opinion from the Release Team, about the
Xen packages.  Currently they are in bad shape in stretch and I intend
to fix them ASAP.

The question is whether I should move to Xen 4.7, or Xen 4.8.  Xen 4.8
is currently at RC2 and seems in pretty good shape.  I think it's more
probable than not that we'll have Xen 4.8.0 by the Debian freeze date,
but this is by no means certain.  If 4.8.0 arrives after the Debian
freeze, then at the Debian freeze stretch will contain a late RC.  The
only things going into the upstream 4.8 branch after then will be
fairly important bugfixes which we would probably want to take for
stretch.

The biggest improvements in 4.8 compared to 4.7 are improvements to
ARM support, including AIUI fairly important overhauls.  There are
also changes to support the new PVH2 guest mode, which Xen upstream
are intending to ultimately replace PV with.  There are also more
minor features, and some bugfixes which upstream won't backport.

Upstream support ends as follows:

End of bugfix supportEnd of security support

  Xen 4.6 [1] Apr 2017   Oct 2018
  Xen 4.7 Dec 2018   Jun 2019
  Xen 4.8 May/Jun 2019 [2]   Nov/Dec 2019 [2]

[1] Currently in stretch, in bad shape, we shouldn't release with
this.

[2] Xen 4.8 support dates are not formally promised yet and will
depend on the Xen 4.8.0 release date.

Ian.

-- 
Ian Jackson    These opinions are my own.

If I emailed you from an address @fyvzl.net or @evade.org.uk, that is
a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.