Dear all,
I would like to share a proposal for discussion.
First of all, it is important to recognize that the project is still available and functional on modern systems largely thanks to the continued efforts of distribution maintainers. Their pragmatic and disciplined work has kept the package alive across releases. That deserves clear acknowledgment.
The reflection below is a general one, not a criticism of this project or its maintainers. In many long-lived open-source projects, when evolution is mainly driven by packaging constraints, changes tend to focus on restoring buildability and runtime stability with minimal scope. This is entirely reasonable from a distribution perspective. However, over time, this can lead to accumulated complexity, defensive layering, and limited architectural consolidation upstream.
For that reason, I propose forming a small upstream architecture group with a clear mandate:
- Define and protect the architecture
- Manage compatibility
- Reduce complexity
- Ensure convergence across platforms
The goal is not to replace existing maintainers, but to complement the current model with a clearer long-term technical direction.
Personally, I would very much like to see Nicola as part of this group, given his experience and long-standing involvement with the project. At the same time, I believe such a team should consist of at least two people, to ensure balance, continuity, and shared responsibility.
I would appreciate your thoughts:
- Does this proposal make sense to you?
- Would you support the creation of such a group?
- Would you be willing to participate in it?
If there is interest, we can define scope and structure together.
Bruno