Re: Supported platforms list

On Jan 31, 2008 5:29 PM, Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:
> "Christopher Browne" <cbbrowne(at)gmail(dot)com> writes:
> > Attached is a patch.
>
> > I have changed the discussion to focus on the buildfarm process, and
> > it should be recognized that this does change the "shape" of how this
> > section recognizes platforms as being "supported."
>
> This is exactly *not* what I wanted to do, as it removes all traces
> of knowledge about which platforms are likely to work (or not work)
> despite not being represented in the current buildfarm. It also
> seems a bit silly to copy-and-paste today's buildfarm roster into
> static documentation.
>
> I think citing the buildfarm as the latest authority, and encouraging
> people to join it, is a fine thing. But a mass delete of older info
> doesn't seem appropriate IMHO.

Fair enough.

I took the "most extreme" position, and explained as such, to ensure
that that sort of issue wouldn't be missed :-).

I'll see about adding a secondary table (possibly simply merged with
the "supported in the past" one) which lists those platforms that seem
underrepresented.

I disagree on the matter of it being silly to include a temporal
roster in static documentation. If we *DO* intend to have some sort
of "list of supported platforms," it is, by necessity, a temporal
list, whatever our data source may be. I see no problem in "mining"
temporal information from the buildfarm at release time - the list of
active animals generally represents nodes that have been actively
testing PostgreSQL during the release cycle, which is NOT an
irrelevant correlation. Those nodes have absolutely influenced how
bugs and incompatibilities have been discovered and "stomped"
throughout the cycle.

I have some other writing to do today (some bid/proposal rework that
tends to sap the will to live), so I'll have to pick this back up
tomorrow. I'll be happy to look at any further suggestions that come
in as input for the next "patch proposal." (Contrast: I won't be
thinking much about the merits or demerits of Slackware tonight... :-)
)
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