Re: master 2704ec54fd3: (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove ancient converters

Re: master 2704ec54fd3: (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove ancient converters

[Po Lu]

Stefan Monnier via Mailing list for Emacs changes <emacs-diffs@gnu.org>
writes:

> branch: master
> commit 2704ec54fd3e33a0914b06ad762be42c4956110d
> Author: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
> Commit: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
>
>     (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove ancient converters
>     
>     * lisp/gnus/gnus-start.el (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove converters
>     from 2004 and before.
>     * lisp/gnus/legacy-gnus-agent.el: Delete file.

What prompted this change?  It's not exactly a mortal sin for code to be
old or even ancient, and if there is a sounder reason to remove this
file (most of all if in connection to the scratch/interpreted-function
branch), we ought to consider the impact of whatever changes are
concerned on Lisp code at large, of which legacy-gnus-agent.el is just
one specimen, before hastening to remove offenders from Emacs proper.

Re: master 2704ec54fd3: (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove ancient converters

[Stefan Monnier]

>>     (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove ancient converters
>>     
>>     * lisp/gnus/gnus-start.el (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove converters
>>     from 2004 and before.
>>     * lisp/gnus/legacy-gnus-agent.el: Delete file.
>
> What prompted this change?  It's not exactly a mortal sin for code to be
> old or even ancient,

It's not the age of the code itself: it's code whose purpose is to
convert `.newsrc` files generated by Gnus from 2004 or before :-)
I think it's safe to assume that such files have long ceased to exist or to
be of any use.


        Stefan

Re: master 2704ec54fd3: (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove ancient converters

[Po Lu]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

> It's not the age of the code itself: it's code whose purpose is to
> convert `.newsrc` files generated by Gnus from 2004 or before :-)
> I think it's safe to assume that such files have long ceased to exist or to
> be of any use.

Gentoo distributes ancient versions of Emacs in their repositories, and
contrived as this scenario is, it's not impossible that some perhaps all
too inquisitive amateur archaeologist should install and run such an
obsolete version of Gnus, only to succeed it with an update to Emacs 30.

But I digress.  That code isn't causing anyone harm by merely existing,
so why must it be removed?

Re: master 2704ec54fd3: (gnus-convert-old-newsrc): Remove ancient converters

[Malik]

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The code doesn't have to be deleted but could be published as stand alone package. In order to keep the core code relevant and not so big.

Am 12. März 2024 04:14:55 MEZ schrieb Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com>:
>Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:
>
>> It's not the age of the code itself: it's code whose purpose is to
>> convert `.newsrc` files generated by Gnus from 2004 or before :-)
>> I think it's safe to assume that such files have long ceased to exist or to
>> be of any use.
>
>Gentoo distributes ancient versions of Emacs in their repositories, and
>contrived as this scenario is, it's not impossible that some perhaps all
>too inquisitive amateur archaeologist should install and run such an
>obsolete version of Gnus, only to succeed it with an update to Emacs 30.
>
>But I digress.  That code isn't causing anyone harm by merely existing,
>so why must it be removed?
>

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