[needs-packaging] LyX version 2.2.x should go into LTS (maybe backported?)

Bug #1602145 reported by Jalsti
8
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
lyx (Ubuntu)
New
Wishlist
Unassigned

Bug Description

As the LyX file format is often not compatible between different versions, and the 2.2.x release does not only bring several new features but also several fixes for crashs (see also bug #1595358), it would be nice to get LyX 2.2.x into the LTS version so that companies and universities with LTS installations can use the up to date, stable version.
Additionally the LyX team announced, that the 2.1.5 will be the last in the 2.1.x series, so further changes to LyX file formats would soon not be supported/readable in Ubuntu any more, until 2021.

Tags: bionic
Revision history for this message
Brian Murray (brian-murray) wrote :

*** This is an automated message ***

This bug is tagged needs-packaging which identifies it as a request for a new package in Ubuntu. As a part of the managing needs-packaging bug reports specification, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/Specs/NeedsPackagingBugs, all needs-packaging bug reports have Wishlist importance. Subsequently, I'm setting this bug's status to Wishlist.

summary: - LyX version 2.2.x should go into LTS (maybe backported?)
+ [needs-packaging] LyX version 2.2.x should go into LTS (maybe
+ backported?)
Changed in lyx (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Wishlist
Jalsti (jalsti)
tags: removed: needs-packaging
tags: added: needs-packaging
Revision history for this message
Juhani Numminen (jsonic) wrote :

Currently there is LyX 2.2.3-5 in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic).

There is discussion in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lyx/+bug/1595358 about getting 2.1.5 into 16.04 LTS (Xenial) and they claim 2.1.5 can read and write the file format of 2.2.x. If you have concerns about 2.1.5 not being enough, please leave a comment in that bug.

So perhaps this bug can be closed?

Changed in lyx (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Jean-Marc Lasgouttes (jmarc) wrote :

I do not know much about Ubuntu policies, but I can add my grain of salt as a LyX developer.

1/ it would be very important to get at least LyX 2.1.5 in 16.04LTS, since the last stable version is updated to be able to read file from the next series.

2/ similarly 18.04 should at least upgrade to 2.2.4.

4/ Although we missed the train for 18.04 release, it would be very nice to update 18.04 to LyX 2.3.1, especially since the LTS is here to stay and 2.3 will be the current format for the next two years (by experience).

I understand this comment is vaguely off topic, but I do not really know who is "in charge" of this package and how we should proceed. Note that neither 2.1.5 nor 2.2.4 are packaged in Debian.

Revision history for this message
Juhani Numminen (jsonic) wrote :

1/ To get LyX 2.1.5 in 16.04, I sent a message to #1595358 with the debdiff. The package requires thorough testing but I'm not familiar with lyx. Jean-Marc, could you please install lyx from https://launchpad.net/~jsonic/+archive/ubuntu/ppa in a Ubuntu 16.04 system and check if all the functionality works?

2/ To upgrade 18.04 to 2.2.4 as a stable release update, we'd need another debdiff, which I can try to provide as well.

4/ You can request a backport of LyX 2.3.0 to Ubuntu 18.04, using the requestbackport tool. Details of the procedure: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuBackports.

Note that a 'backport' is different to a 'stable release update'. A backport is only installed when the user specifically requests so, while SRU gets pushed to all users of that Ubuntu version who have lyx installed. As I understand it, upgrading the version from 2.2.3 to 2.3.0 is not allowed in a SRU because only micro-version updates are ok, see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates.

Revision history for this message
Jean-Marc Lasgouttes (jmarc) wrote :

1/ thanks for 2.1.5. I tested it and answered in the bug itself.

2/ yes, a 2.2.4 debdiff would be appreciated.

3/ backporting would indeed be a very good idea. The best is to wait until LyX 2.3.1, which should be made available in a few days.

Revision history for this message
Juhani Numminen (jsonic) wrote :

2.2.4 is in my PPA and the build was just finished successfully. Debdiff: https://launchpadlibrarian.net/388391896/lyx_2.2.3-5_2.2.4-0ubuntu0.1~ppa1.diff.gz

Juhani Numminen (jsonic)
tags: added: bionic
removed: needs-packaging xenial
Changed in lyx (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Juhani Numminen (jsonic) wrote :

I did some reading on Ubuntu policies, and found couple more things to consider:

- Backporting LyX 2.3.1 requires that 2.3.1 is in the Ubuntu archives, i.e. Ubuntu 18.10.
- Ubuntu 18.10 will be released in about one month, and it is already past feature freeze as well as user interface freeze, so LyX would require a freeze exception.

Based on reading wiki pages, I think the backporting effort requires this:

1. Lyx 2.3.1 is released.
2. Ask Debian maintainer of lyx, Dr. Tobias Quathamer, to package 2.3.1 and upload it to Debian.
3. Request a sync of 2.3.1 from Debian to Ubuntu 18.10.
4. Request a backport of 2.3.1 from Ubuntu 18.10 to 18.04.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuBackports
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CosmicCuttlefish/ReleaseSchedule
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SyncRequestProcess

Revision history for this message
Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987) wrote :

Update to maintenance release 2.1.5 in Xenial bug #1595358
Update to maintenance release 2.2.4 in Bionic bug #1811571

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