Changes/Deprecate xemacs

Deprecate xemacs, xemacs-packages-base, xemacs-packages-extra, and neXtaw

Summary

Deprecate the xemacs, xemacs-packages-base, xemacs-packages-extra, and neXtaw packages, all of which have dead upstreams.

Owner

• Name: Jerry James
• Email: loganjerry@gmail.com

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 34
• Last updated: 2020-12-30
• FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

I have been part of XEmacs upstream for over 20 years, and have maintained the Fedora package for over 11 years. Upstream development had already slowed significantly when I became Fedora maintainer. The last release was over 7 years ago. Since that time, development has essentially come to a halt. Somebody will push a commit every now and then, but significant bugs are not being fixed. I see no future for the project. We should start moving towards dropping it from the distribution. The upstream sources have been spread across 3 packages in Fedora: xemacs, xemacs-packages-base, and xemacs-packages-extra. In addition, the xemacs package uses an ancient, unmaintained 3D X library: neXtaw. It's last release was in 2003. Since xemacs is the only package in Fedora that uses neXtaw, I propose that it also be deprecated so we can eventually drop it.

Deprecation is warranted because there are about a dozen XEmacs add-on packages in Fedora. This will prevent us from adding any more as we work to retire the existing add-ons.

Feedback

On December 7, 2020, I communicated my intent to file this Change on fedora-devel-list. There has been no community feedback.

Benefit to Fedora

This Change will open a path for us to eventually remove unmaintained software from the distribution.

Scope

• Proposal owners:

The only required work is the addition of Provides: deprecated() to the 4 affected packages.

• Other developers:

No immediate work is required. Eventually, maintainers of XEmacs add-on packages will need to retire those packages so that XEmacs itself can be retired.

• Release engineering:

This change does not require coordination with or impact release engineering and does not require a mass rebuild.

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Alignment with Objectives:

While this proposal does not match any of the current objectives, it is not opposed to any.

Upgrade/compatibility impact

Since the Change only deprecates packages, it has no immediate effect on upgrades or compatibility. Eventually, when the affected packages are retired, fedora-obsolete-packages will be updated to properly manage upgrades.

How To Test

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

User Experience

This change will not lead to any immediate changes in user experience. Eventually, we will retire the affected packages, which will impact users of those packages. We will seek to communicate the upcoming retirement as we work towards it.

Dependencies

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks product? None

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Release Notes

The xemacs, xemacs-packages-base, xemacs-packages-extra, and neXtaw packages have been deprecated. XEmacs users should prepare for the eventual removal of these packages from the Fedora distribution.