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Thread: Strange version names

  1. #1
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    Strange version names

    Sometimes I'm seeing version names like the current nvidia-current version: 304.51.really.304.43-0ubuntu2

    Why is this version called with this name? If this package is really the version 304.43 why isn't it just called 304.43-0ubuntu2?

  2. #2
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    Re: Strange version names

    This usually happens if a newer version of a package is uploaded, then gets reverted to an older version. It must be done this way because Debian treats the version field as both a functional thing (like a dependency) and an aesthetic thing (like a package description). It says both the version of the package (so the system knows when an update is available), as well as the version of the software in the package (so you can see it and think "oh, that's the newest version of the driver!").

    In order to get systems that already have 305.51 to revert to that older version, they need to make the replacement package somehow have a "bigger" version number without breaking its property of communicating the (lower) upstream version number. These things usually get cleaned up fairly quickly — as soon as whatever was blocking the newer version gets fixed.
    Last edited by Mr. Picklesworth; November 8th, 2012 at 04:42 AM.

  3. #3
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    Re: Strange version names

    Nvidia drivers are the responsibility of the Nvidia company. The 304.51 driver had a serious bug which was not there in 304.43 version of the driver. There is little the Ubuntu team can do about this except pass the bug reports back to Nvidia and wait until Nvidia fixes the problem.

    I guess that the Ubuntu developers are trying to prevent a buggy driver from being installed.

    Regards.
    It is a machine. It is more stupid than we are. It will not stop us from doing stupid things.
    Ubuntu user #33,200. Linux user #530,530


  4. #4
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    Re: Strange version names

    I think this naming to nvidia-current-updates is also a bit odd.

    You see, the newest certified (stable) version is 304.64.
    And that one has a name nvidia-current-updates in RR repo.
    I thought beta versions (like 310.14) would bear the nvidia-current-updates naming.

    Now this is mixed up.

  5. #5
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    Re: Strange version names

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Picklesworth View Post
    This usually happens if a newer version of a package is uploaded, then gets reverted to an older version. It must be done this way because Debian treats the version field as both a functional thing (like a dependency) and an aesthetic thing (like a package description). It says both the version of the package (so the system knows when an update is available), as well as the version of the software in the package (so you can see it and think "oh, that's the newest version of the driver!").

    In order to get systems that already have 305.51 to revert to that older version, they need to make the replacement package somehow have a "bigger" version number without breaking its property of communicating the (lower) upstream version number. These things usually get cleaned up fairly quickly — as soon as whatever was blocking the newer version gets fixed.
    This explanation makes sense.


    Quote Originally Posted by Harry33 View Post
    I think this naming to nvidia-current-updates is also a bit odd.

    You see, the newest certified (stable) version is 304.64.
    And that one has a name nvidia-current-updates in RR repo.
    I thought beta versions (like 310.14) would bear the nvidia-current-updates naming.

    Now this is mixed up.
    There are even the packages nvidia-settings and nvidia-settings-updates which have currently the same version.

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