List old synapse versions in apt repository indexes

[a-0-dev]

Currently, only the latest ´matrix-synapse-py3` version is available in the apt repository, which poses challenges when managing synapse with ansible or other tools which may require to install/retain an older version if updates are not yet desired.

Leaving older versions in the repository (as it is the case for most software packages) would significantly support these admins :)

This may also be classified as a bug, depending on your criteria.

[richvdh]

they are all there, in https://packages.matrix.org/debian/pool/main/m/matrix-synapse-py3.

[domrim]

this is unfortunately not very usable, as they are not in the package index. There are only 1.77.0+bullseye1 and 1.71.0+bullseye1 available (not sure why exactly these two versions). Would it be possible to keep at least the last 3-5 versions in the package index?

[richvdh]

this is unfortunately not very usable, as they are not in the package index.

No, but downloading them and installing them with dpkg is not exactly the most onerous task in the world. Indeed, I'm not sure it's any harder than figuring out the incantation to get apt to install the version you want.

It looks like support for multiple versions of packages was added in a recent version of reprepro (see https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=570623), so this might be something we could consider now. I suspect the thing that makes 1.71.0 different is that the 1.72.0 release was done by someone using reprepro 5.4.0. (@erikjohnston looks like it was you: can you confirm?)

The problem is that doing so would require all of the Synapse core team to be using bleeding-edge reprepro.

[erikjohnston]

(@erikjohnston looks like it was you: can you confirm?)

My local reprepro appears to be 5.3.0. It's possible someone in the office did the debs that time round?

[domrim]

No, but downloading them and installing them with dpkg is not exactly the most onerous task in the world. Indeed, I'm not sure it's any harder than figuring out the incantation to get apt to install the version you want.

Yes and no. The advantage of apt is, that it checks the signatures of the repository and package directly. One could argue that in a larger environment with multiple servers this could get automated, but it's not trivial and has some pitfalls.
apt usage with a version on the other hand is trivial with apt install matrix-synapse-py3=1.76.0+bullseye1

[richvdh]

I'll reopen this for the team to consider