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Package Archiving: Policy

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Shon Feder edited this page Oct 31, 2024 · 1 revision 
authors: Shon Feder
status: propsal
last-updated: 2024-08-06

Opam Repository Archiving Policy

NOTE: This policy is not static and will be updated as the process matures.

Terminology

  • The primary opam repository, (referred to here as the "primary repo") is located at ocaml/opam-repository. The primary repo is curated to ensure that compatible packages are co-installable on as many supported platforms as possible, and it is the default package repository.
  • "Primary repo criteria" refers to the criteria used to decide whether a version of a package is suitable for continued inclusion in the primary repo.
  • The archive opam repository, (referred to here as the "archive repo")" is located at ocaml/opam-repository-archive and records packages that were once in the primary repo, but no longer meet the primary repo criteria.
  • "Supported platforms" are those listed under Tier 1 and Tier 2 by the OCaml compiler
  • A package's "maximum compiler version" is the upper bound of the OCaml compiler versions supported by a package. Support is derived either based on explicit version bounds set on the ocaml dependency in a package's dependency cone, or implicitly based on failed installs detected through our CI and health check processes.
  • The "compiler cutoff threshold" is an OCaml compiler versions stipulated by the opam repository maintainers. It sets a lower bound on the compiler versions supported by the primary repo.
  • A package is said to "meet the compiler cutoff thershold" iff its maximum compiler version is greater then or equal to the compiler cutoff threshold.
  • The "maintenance intent" of a package refers to the explicitly declared intent of a maintainer to support versions of a package, recorded in the packages opam file metadata.

Policy

Compiler cutoff threshold

The current compiler cutoff threshold is 4.08.

This threshold is subject to change by the opam repo maintainers based on the oldest compiler available on maintained distributions.

Primary repo criteria

A version of a package may be published on the primary repo, and will continue to remain listed there, so long as the following criteria hold:

  1. ocaml-version: The package version satisfies the current compiler cutoff threshold.
  2. source-available: The sources of the package version are available.
  3. maintenance-intent: The package version falls within a package's maintenance intent, or is a dependency of a package satisfying the primary repo criteria.
  4. installable: The package version is installable on at least one of the supported platforms. (Note that it is not required that CI tests are passing, since working installation may require manual system configuration.)

Note that this property is transitive along a package's dependency tree: if a package satisfies the primary repo criteria, then its dependencies do as well.

Periodic pruning process

At regular intervals, no less than every six months, the opam repo maintainers will reevaluate all packages to determine if they satisfy the primary repo criteria. Packages that do not will be subject to archiving, according to the following process:

  • If the package version falls outside the package's maintenance intent, it will be archived.
  • The package version's maintainers will be notified of the intent to archive.
    • Maintainers will have ${notice-weeks} weeks to fix the version so that it satisfies the criteria or approve of the archiving.
    • If ${notice-weeks} passes without hearing from the maintainers, the package will be marked as unmaintained and a call for a new maintainer will be submitted to the community.
    • If a new maintainer steps forward, they will have 1 week to fix the package version.
    • Otherwise, the package will be archived.

Archiving a package

When it has been decided that a set of package versions (aka "versions") should be archived, archiving will proceed according to the following process:

  • A PR will be made to add the archived versions to the archive repo.
    • The opam file of each version will be extended as follows:
      • Any dependencies without upper bounds will have upper bounds added, recording the latest available version of the dependency in the primary repo at the time of archiving.
      • The field x-reason-for-archival will be added.
      • The field x-opam-repository-commit-hash-at-time-of-archival will be added.
  • A PR will be made to remove the versions from the primary repo:
    • The removal PR should link to the corresponding archiving PR.
    • The commit message should have the title Archive packages and its body should contain the hash of the commit that adds the packages to the archive.
  • A announcement will be made on discuss.ocaml.org
  • After waiting 1 week for feedback, the PRs will be merged.

Specification of the x- fields used in the archiving process

  • x-reason-for-archival:
  • x-opam-repository-commit-hash-at-time-of-archival:
    • Allowed values: a string
    • Meaning: Records the commit hash of the primary repo at the time a package version is archived.
    • Example: "ca32ab3b976aa7abc00c7605548f78a30980d35b"
  • x-maintenance-intent:
    • Allowed values: a list of strings matching version numbers, possibly using the special keywords (latest), (any) and (none)
    • Meaning:
      • Expresses the declared intent of the maintainers to maintain only certain versions ranges of a package.
      • The value of the x-maintenance-intent on the latest published package will precedence.
    • Examples:
      • ["(latest)"] the maintainer will only maintain the latest version
      • ["(latest)" "(latest-1)"] the maintainer will only maintain the latest X.Y.Z version and (X-1).Y.Z
      • ["(latest)" "(latest).(latest-1)"] the maintainer will only maintain the latest X.Y.Z version and X.(Y-1).Z
      • ["(any).(latest)"] the maintainer will maintain every major version X for each X.Y.Z
      • ["(latest).(any).(latest)"] the maintainer will maintain every Y for each X.Y.Z (where X is the latest)
      • ["(any)"] the maintainer will maintain every single versions
      • ["(none)"] the maintainer will not maintain any version
      • ["1.3"] the maintainer will maintain the latest version of "1.3.Z"
      • ["2.(latest)"] the maintainer will maintain the latest minor version specifically of version "2" of the package
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