Hi, all.
Our next scheduled minor release of Moodle is due next week. We will be releasing Moodle 2.4.1, 2.3.4, 2.2.7 and 2.1.10. There has also been one minor security issue fix backported to Moodle 1.9.19+.
Please note that 2.1.10 will be final release for the 2.1 branch.
See the General release calendar for upcoming release dates.
Michael de Raadt
Development Manager, Moodle HQ
Hi,
Nice to have these new versions.
But, i've downloded latest Moodle 2.3.4.tgz, and when extracting it, all files and directories are dated with packaging date
All other previous versions where keeping real last modified file date (and it was useful to see what where last changes)!
I don't know exactly how is now made the release process, after latest changes, but it seems something has changed badly...
Would be good if you can keep real file dates.
Thanks in advance
Séverin
Hi Séverin,
you could take a look at MDLSITE-2045 where Eloy is tracking all the changes due to the CSV->GIT migration: MDLSITE-2047 could be the root candidate for your issue.
I'm not really an expert with git to suggest something like git ls-files -m into the new process to trigger e.g. a git checkout -- on each item of the list... better to extract the commit time for each item, something like in http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1964470/whats-the-equivalent-of-use-commit-times-for-git#answer-11543788 and below.
I'll drop these refs into MDLSITE-2047.
HTH,
Matteo
Sorry,
but git does not store file modification dates at all, AFAIK, so each git operation on a file causes it to be modified to current timestamp. And as far as the packages, now generated using the git repository as source, are created with one git archive command, then all files come with current date.
There are some projects and hacks to store/calculate them apart, but I would't try that way at all.
If we try to get the file modification dates using commit dates, you can end with files in 2.3.4 having older dates than their 2.3.3 (imagine one commit that has been waiting to be integrated into some developer's repository for months). 100% nonsense.
Or if you use checkout dates, then all you will get are "weekly approximations" (that's the frequency when changes become available in the git repository). Surely useful up to some extent, but 100% "lies".
Just two examples about how futile is to try to "invent" the file modification date. It simply does not exist.
In any case, I'm not sure which sort of comparisons or information you want to get but, hey, git is a version control system, so it's pretty easy to ask it about changes between versions and virtually about everything. Surely better than with any file-modified based search.
For example, to get a summary of the file changes between 2 releases (git tags), you can, simply, do:
git diff --name-status v2.3.3 v2.3.4
Ciao
Thanks Eloy and Matteo for your detailed answers and links, it's really appreciated
Ok, so i can/must forget modification dates, but only use packaging dates now (just had to know for sure)! It also has it's advantages.
And i'll also have to learn/use git...
Thanks for the example, but it's not so simple, because i often make things like 2.3.3+ to 2.3.4 (not + for the moment, but could have been) updates.
Séverin
Séverin, from what you describe doing, I am sure that it would be well worth your time to get your head around git. http://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Git_for_Administrators
I am also sure it is well withing your abilities. http://git-scm.com/book is another useful reference. (First few chapters is all you need.)
Thanks Tim, i already know this documentation page, had already taken a look at it, and the french translation, but haven't still go to use it. A 2013 good resolution
Thanks also for the book, i'm happy to see that there is a french translation (easier for me to understand)
Yeah,
I'd recommend you to take a look to the page Tim references. I bet you'll end switching to git for your upgrades (instead of using downloads). It's easier, quicker, safer and allows you to ask the repository about any change, past or future! (before upgrading ).
Ciao
I have some scripts to download a (choosen) Moodle version, and install it on one (of my several) choosen Moodle in 2 minutes or so. So, it's not really a problem of time to update (and no need to define dirs to avoid).
But i think in the long term, i will gain time with git, when i know well how it works
I am sure you have read other forum threads where people are getting inexplicable errors, and it turns out that when they used FTP to upload the files to their server, some got missed out. Well, that just cannot happen with git. If you type the command git status and get output like
# On branch MOODLE_23_STABLE
nothing to commit (working directory clean)
Then you can be certain whcih version you have checked out, and that no files have been accidentally altered. If a file has been altered, then git status will show something like
# On branch MOODLE_23_STABLE
# Changes not staged for commit:
# (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
# (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
#
# modified: index.php
#
no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
and if you reall need to see what has changed, then git diff will show you the changes.
The strength of that guarantee that the code you are running is exactly the same as the code you think you are running, is the big advantage of using git to manage your installation (in my opinion).
I've sometime read users having problems, and they had to transfert files again. Working in a university, i've "my" own server, and i directly download and unpack from it, so no problem.
Thanks for the explaination and exemples. I'll really have to learn and use git soon
Séverin "I'll really have to learn and use git soon."
Yes, Séverin, you must do that.
Joseph (a GIT convert)
I hope french speaking people already using git will answer my questions (in french forums), if i have some
Séverin (not yet converted)
