XKB configuration data and xkeyboard-config

[Sergey Udaltsov]

Hi ppl

Once again, I would like to raise the question regarding oncoming
modular release and xkeyboard-config. There was some discussion
earlier - but still no final decision was made IIRC. So, since the
release is approaching, I'd appreciate some verdict pronounced on this
list.
Just to remind you the matter of problem:
The xkeyboard-config is an XKB configuration repository. It contains a
lot of bugfixes for layouts. It was heavily redesigned and
destructured (so it will break some configurations). It is already
autotoolized.
In order to be released as a part of non-modular 6.9 release,
xkeyboard-config should be imakefilezed back, Also, this step, if
performed would introduce new build-time dependency for Xorg -
intltool. And, as I said, the configuration compatibility between 6.8
and 6.9 will be broken. All these factors show that releasing
xkeyboard-config as a part of 6.9 is essentially waste of time.
On the other hand, something has to be done. A lot of bugs are
reported as "fixed" in xorg bugzilla - but people never actually see
fixes, because they are in xkeyboard-config which cannot be easily
(naturally, without patching) dropped into existing tree.
So, possible ways:
- forget about xkeyboard-config till 7.1. It is a safest way - but
very bad IMHO. Long-outstanding bugs in existing xkb repository - will
still be around for a year or more (adding the time it takes for Xorg
release to get into distributions)
- split existing xkb configuration data into separate module, without
any other changes/fixes. This is the minimal reasonable solution - at
least distromakers would be able to substitute it easily and naturally
with xkeyboard-config.
- release 6.9 with old xkb configuration data, release 7.0 with
xkeyboard-config. It would be rather radical step - but it would
guarantee that people using 7.0 will have all the fixes, all the old
data would be dropped

So, please, let's finally decide...

Sergey