From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jun 4 22:07:34 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 809EB1065672 for ; Sat, 4 Jun 2011 22:07:34 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3E6A48FC0C for ; Sat, 4 Jun 2011 22:07:33 +0000 (UTC) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.14.4/8.14.4) with ESMTP id p54M7MiR034231; Sat, 4 Jun 2011 16:07:22 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.14.4/8.14.4/Submit) with ESMTP id p54M7MbW034228; Sat, 4 Jun 2011 16:07:22 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2011 16:07:22 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block To: "Mikhail T." In-Reply-To: <4DEA8A0E.5070108@aldan.algebra.com> Message-ID: References: <20110603001251.GA66356@server.vk2pj.dyndns.org> <20110603065653.GB65291@server.vk2pj.dyndns.org> <4DE8D764.20607@gmx.de> <4DEA8A0E.5070108@aldan.algebra.com> User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.2.7 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:07:22 -0600 (MDT) Cc: Matthias Andree , freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Re: GPC 2006 (Pascal) -- deprecated or "expired"?? X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 04 Jun 2011 22:07:34 -0000 On Sat, 4 Jun 2011, Mikhail T. wrote: > On -10.01.-28163 14:59, Matthias Andree wrote: >> Call it dying or undead then. That's usually not reason enough for >> someone who does not _need_ the port (for something other than to put it >> on display, that is) to invest time. > If it is not dead, it should not have been removed... (Temporary) absence of > maintainer is not a good reason for removal. On install, the ports system could show a warning: ---- This port will be removed from the ports tree on ${EXPIRE_DATE}. Reasons: ${EXPIRE_REASONS} If this is incorrect or you wish to become the maintainer for this port, submit a PR at http://www.freebsd.org/support/bugreports.html or contact the freebsd-ports@freebsd.org mailing list. ---- With a Makefile entry like EXPIRE_DATE= 20110901 EXPIRE_REASONS= "No maintainer, project dead for 6 years." Those would be added to a port, say 3-6 months before the expiration date. Of course it adds overhead. But it would give warning to those who use a port but don't monitor the mailing lists. It does not address the issue of users of a port that know it's expiring but aren't willing to become or find a maintainer. Or of keeping zombie ports in the tree forever.