Re: [vdr] [patch] Load plugins based on VDRVERSION and APIVERSION alternatively

Udo Richter wrote:

Hi Klaus,

The new APIVERSION of 1.3.47 will cause lots of trouble as soon as APIVERSION and VDRVERSION differ the first time, as this requires updated Makefiles for all plugins. In best case, VDR wont find a plugin because it has the wrong name, in worst case, an old version is used without noticing.

On the other hand, its not too difficult to load plugins based on APIVERSION and VDRVERSION alternatively. That way, plugins that still use VDRVERSION continue to work. This even gives plugin authors the ability to ignore APIVERSION compatibility if the plugin depends on obscure differences between versions. The only drawback is that plugin authors will be lazy adapting to APIVERSION.

The attached patch does the trick: It loads plugins using APIVERSION and VDRVERSION, and gives VDRVERSION the precedence. The patch also prefers VDRVERSION when loading "*". Feel free to use it if you want.

I'm afraid I don't like this.

APIVERSION was introduced because several people complained that they had to recompile all plugins every time there was even the slightest change in VDR. As long as none of VDR's header files has been changed (in a way that would cause incompatibilities) a newer version of VDR (which, for instance, fixes some bugs and has only changes in *.c files) should be able to use existing compiled versions of plugins. If we start using either VDRVERSION or APIVERSION, there will never be a clear way of handling this.

Originally I wanted to have a clear 1:1 mapping between a VDR version and its plugins. However, I do see that it would be good to avoid unnecessary recompilation. If APIVERSION isn't the right method to achieve this, I'd rather remove it from the final version 1.4.

Klaus

---

--- vdr-1.3.47-orig/plugin.c 2006-04-21 19:08:02.000000000 +0200 +++ vdr-1.3.47/plugin.c 2006-04-21 19:53:32.709327912 +0200 @@ -294,11 +294,26 @@ if (p) { *p = 0; p += strlen(SO_INDICATOR);

•             if (strcmp(p, APIVERSION) == 0) {
  

•             if (strcmp(p, VDRVERSION) == 0) {
  

•                // VDRVERSION is always loaded
                 char *name = e->d_name + strlen(LIBVDR_PREFIX);
                 if (strcmp(name, "*") != 0) { // let's not get into a loop!
  

•                   AddPlugin(e->d_name + strlen(LIBVDR_PREFIX));
  

•                   AddPlugin(name);
  

•                   }
  

•                }
  

•             if (strcmp(p, APIVERSION) == 0) {
  

•                // APIVERSION found, check whether VDRVERSION exists too
  

•                char *name = e->d_name + strlen(LIBVDR_PREFIX);
  

•                char *buffer = NULL;
  

•                asprintf(&buffer, "%s/%s%s%s%s", directory, LIBVDR_PREFIX, name, SO_INDICATOR, VDRVERSION);
  

•                if (access(buffer,F_OK) != 0) {
  

•                   // APIVERSION is the only existing one, use it
  

•                   if (strcmp(name, "*") != 0) { // let's not get into a loop!
  

•                      AddPlugin(name);
  

•                      }
                    }
  

•                // else: skip APIVERSION, the loop will load VDRVERSION instead
  

•                free(buffer);
                 }
              }
           }
  

@@ -310,7 +325,11 @@ if (p) *p = 0; char *buffer = NULL;

• asprintf(&buffer, "%s/%s%s%s%s", directory, LIBVDR_PREFIX, s, SO_INDICATOR, APIVERSION);

• asprintf(&buffer, "%s/%s%s%s%s", directory, LIBVDR_PREFIX, s, SO_INDICATOR, VDRVERSION);
• if (access(buffer,F_OK) != 0) { // Plugin not found using VDRVERSION, try APIVERSION instead

• free(buffer);
  

• asprintf(&buffer, "%s/%s%s%s%s", directory, LIBVDR_PREFIX, s, SO_INDICATOR, APIVERSION);
  

• }
  

  dlls.Add(new cDll(buffer, Args)); free(buffer); free(s);