Chapter 24. pkgsrc Policies
Prev | Part II. The pkgsrc developer's guide | Next

## Chapter 24. pkgsrc Policies

## 24.1. Packages for which updating is restricted

In the past, some packages have caused more package failures than others, and we'd like to reduce this in the future.

For this reason, pkgsrc-pmc marks some packages with `POLICY_UPDATE_LIMITED`. The possible values currently are:

- `abi` for packages where ABI/API changes often broke the packages depending on them

- `bootstrap` for packages that are used during the pkgsrc bootstrap

`pkglint` will warn when committing updates to these packages.

### 24.1.1. Limited Updates - ABI

Before committing non-micro version updates to packages marked with `POLICY_UPDATE_LIMITED=abi`, a limited bulk build of `meta-pkgs/bulk-test-${PACKAGE}` needs to be run and the result posted to the tech-pkg mailing list, highlighting what packages would stop building (if any).

Depending on the result, pkgsrc-pmc then decides:

- go ahead with the update

- wait for packages X, Y, Z to be fixed (upstream or locally) with the updated version, which is put in wip in the meantime

- In the second case, all pkgsrc developers are encouraged to work on fixing this - it is not only the updater's task to fix them.

The decision to wait for packages can be revisited.

### 24.1.2. Limited Updates - Bootstrap

When updating packages used in the bootstrap, i.e. marked with `POLICY_UPDATE_LIMITED=bootstrap`, test the bootstrap process and preferably some basic packages and send the patch to the tech-pkg mailing list so it can be tested on other platforms as well. Give at least two weeks for feedback and testing by others.

Prev | Up | Next
Chapter 23. Submitting and Committing | Home | Chapter 25. Frequently Asked Questions