[arch-dev-public] Pacman epoch and what you need to know

17 Mar 2011

      With 3.5.0 out, we no longer recognize the "force" option in
PKGBUILDs; this has been replaced by the 'epoch' variable. What you
need to know:

* If you've never forced a package upgrade, don't go introducing epoch.
* Default epoch is 0.
* If you've ever used 'force' in a package (even if it isn't there
now!), you should probably set epoch to 1 next time you build the
package.
* Each time you increment epoch, it will completely and utterly
outrank any previous version of the package. Make sure this is what
you want.
* epoch should be seen as a last resort.

Can someone forward this along to the TU list as well?

And anyone that wants to have a command-line skillz showdown, I
challenge you to top this one [1], the list of all packages currently
using force.

-Dan

[1]
dmcgee@galway ~
$ zgrep -aE -A1 'FILENAME|FORCE' /var/lib/pacman/sync/*.db | grep -vaE
'FILENAME|--' | grep -a -B1 FORCE | grep pkg
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:alltray-0.7.4dev-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:anki-1.2.7-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:cedet-1.0-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:coq-8.3pl1-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:dokuwiki-20101107a-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:fbnews-0.5-4-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:gnump3d-3.0-5-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:gnunet-0.8.1b-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:gnunet-gtk-0.8.1-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:gobby-0.4.12-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:hex-a-hop-1.1.0-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:keysafe-0.5-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:kvpnc-0.9.6a-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:libev-4.01-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:libextractor-0.5.22-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mcabber-0.10.1-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mingw32-gcc-4.5.2-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mingw32-gcc-base-4.5.0-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mytharchive-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythbrowser-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythgallery-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythgame-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythmusic-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythnetvision-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythnews-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythvideo-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythweather-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythweb-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythplugins-mythzoneminder-0.24-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:myththemes-0.24-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:mythtv-0.24-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:nuvexport-0.24-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-anyevent-xmpp-0.51-2-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-authen-sasl-2.15-2-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-color-calc-1.061-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-common-sense-3.4-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-curses-ui-poe-0.035-1-any.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-datetime-0.66-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-json-xs-2.3-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-sgmls-1.03ii-3-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-sub-uplevel-0.22-1-any.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:perl-text-markdown-1.000031-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:pitivi-0.13.5-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:prosody-0.7.0-4-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:pyaimt-0.8.0.1-3-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:pygoocanvas-0.14.1-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:pyinotify-0.9.1-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:python-beautifulsoup-3.2.0-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:python-lcms-1.19-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:python2-poppler-0.12.1-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:rocksndiamonds-3.3.0.1-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:rocksndiamonds-data-3.3.0.1-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:root-5.28.00a-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:roundcubemail-0.5.1-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:s3cmd-1.0.0-2-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:scribes-0.4.849-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:sdlmame-0.141u3-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:smbnetfs-0.5.3a-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:sshguard-1.5rc4-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:texvc-1.16.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/community.db:ttf-liberation-1.06.0.20100721-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/core.db:vi-050325-4-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:blas-3.3.0-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:botan-1.8.11-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:capseo-0.3-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:ffmpeg-20110121-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:foomatic-db-4.0.6_20101215-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:foomatic-db-engine-4.0.6_20101215-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:foomatic-db-nonfree-4.0.6_20101215-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:foomatic-filters-4.0.6_20101215-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:gsfonts-1.0.7pre44-2-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:hsqldb-java-1.8.0.10-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:hunspell-nl-2.00g-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:libdmapsharing-2.1.8-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:libffi-3.0.9-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:libmythes-1.2.1-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:libraw1394-2.0.7-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:libshout-2.2.2-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:libvdpau-0.4.1-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:meld-1.4.0-3-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:moc-2.4.4-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:monodevelop-2.4.2-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:netcdf-4.1.1-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:openbox-3.4.11.2-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:perl-anyevent-5.24-1-any.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:strigi-git20110107-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:tdb-1.2.1-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:truecrypt-7.0a-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:ttf-tibetan-machine-1.901-4-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:vim-vcscommand-1.99.42-1-any.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:xaw3d-1.5E-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.gz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:xf86-video-mga-1.4.13-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:xf86-video-nouveau-0.0.16_git20101217-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/extra.db:xf86-video-openchrome-0.2.904-4-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/multilib.db:lib32-tdb-1.2.1-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
/var/lib/pacman/sync/multilib.db:q4wine-0.120_r1-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz

[arch-dev-public] Pacman epoch and what you need to know

Dan McGee