Re: [Bug-gnuzilla] Up-to-date IceCat source tarballs now available via GNU Guix

[Mark H Weaver]

Hi,

bill-auger <bill-auger@peers.community> writes:
> that specific concern is only one symptom of the current
> situation - at the root of it, is the fact that there is often a
> significant amount of work involved to prepare each new release
> of these browsers;

Significant work is needed only when updating to a new major release,
e.g. moving to v68 which will be the new ESR.

To update to a new point release (e.g. 60.8.0), all that's required is
to re-run the existing 'make-icecat' script on the new upstream Firefox
ESR source tarball and upload the new tarballs.

> generally speaking, anytime a downstream moves ahead of its
> upstream, without offering back upstream, patches that the
> upstream would gladly accept for the benefit of all other
> downstreams,

There are no patches needed, and therefore nothing to contribute.

I honestly don't know how to engage with IceCat upstream.  The current
maintainer almost never communicates on this list, except to announce
releases, and almost never commits to the repository except immediately
before a release.  I don't see a way to "plug in" to that process.

Anyway, in the meantime, people can use GNU Guix to build updated IceCat
source tarballs.  The 60.8.0 update will be in Guix within the next few
hours.

       Mark