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Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2014 11:00:58 +0000
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Subject: Modular distributions
From: lester@lsces.co.uk (Lester Caine)

While at least part of the answer is 'it's not our problem', in general Linux 
distributions provide a modular approach to managing installations. The various 
comments about version numbers prompts me to remember the hassle that was 
incurred when I tried to switch distributions because there is no standard way 
of handling this. I'd like to float the idea of providing a standardised way of 
handling a more modular approach to handling this for PHP6. The main part 
relates to breaking down the ever expanding central .ini file so that each 
extension has it's own ini file as is done by the distributions I'm currently 
using.

Moving on from this is adding the ability to update a single module, such as the 
timezone data, where an external update can be more easily applied between 
releases. I'm actually looking at the problems of maintaining PHP5.3 when it 
gets EOL and which 5.2 currently has in relation to timezone data. 'Not our 
problem' I know, but providing the right tools would reduce workload if third 
parties can more easily take over that work.

The main focus here though is to more easily allow 'development' versions of 
extension improvements to be used in the field, rather than having a fully 
bundled update? In the past maintaining the windows installations has been by 
just updating a single extension, and formalising that still makes sense to me 
although I know that many of you prefer the 'core bundle' model which includes 
many packages that never actually get used by some of us. A modular model is 
used by the Linux distributions and seems to be preferred anyway?

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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