Re: Do pretests reach end users?

[Dmitry Alexandrov]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:
>> https://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/pretest/windows/emacs-27/emacs-27.0.91-x86_64-installer.exe
>
> Wrong URL.  The important one is this:
>
>   https://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/pretest/emacs-27.0.91.tar.xz

Is there a download counter on alpha.gnu.org to estimate how important it 
really is, I wonder?

>>> We cannot control the policies of the various distros
>>
>> Of course, you can!  Just declare the next pretest version 27.1 instead — 
>> and youʼll see dozens of various distros ‹…› obediently picking it up.
>
> Why not declare the Git version 27.1 (‹…›), then?

Because you are not a maintainer of the Git, perhaps?

>>> Sometimes [GNU distributions do partincipate in Emacs pretesting], 
>>> nonetheless, presumably because the people who are responsible for the 
>>> distros read the announcements about the pretests
>>
>> Any example?
>
> I sometimes see versions like XX.YY.90 with telltale signs that they were not 
> the pretest.

???

Never mind, though.  There might be some examples, of course.  However, no 
_major_ GNU distribution does that — thatʼs the problem.

>> That is, the _only_ known to me system left, where Emacs pretests are 
>> available for installation, is Microsoft Windows.
>
> I believe you drew this conclusion because someone pointed you to the wrong 
> URL of the pretest; see above.

Thankfully, no one came up with idea to disable listing on alpha.gnu.org so 
far, so there is no need to be pointed to exact URL, anyone can see what 
packages are present there.

Not to say, there is something unusual there, no.  GNU users indeed tend to 
rely on some more automated means to install software.  Preferably, on those 
preconfigured in their distribution.  Just uploading, say, debs there would 
hardly help, imho.

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