Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

grous · 2026-05-07 10:45:36

Two days ago i updated my system and GCC got updated to 16.x.x version. Which is normal but i also needed to have gcc15 in my system to compile my CUDA code with NVCC.

I know that GCC15 is now in the extra repositories but yesterday i couldn't wait and installed Ubuntu literally before gcc15 being pushed to extra repository. So can extra repository maintainers keep the last 2 versions in the extra repository just in case? Like gcc15 and gcc14 in the extra repository and gcc16 in core repository. Because most distributions like Fedora, Ubuntu and openSUSE does this.

Lastly i avoided compiling the gcc15 from AUR because my internet speed is slow and CPU is old enough that makes reinstalling the system makes it more viable and faster.

gromit · 2026-05-07 10:54:35

So given that gcc 15 is now in the repos, what is left to do regarding your question?

grous · 2026-05-07 11:14:19

gromit wrote:

So given that gcc 15 is now in the repos, what is left to do regarding your question?

I think that keeping old GCC versions (last 2 or 1 before core package's version) should be a regular procedure after updating the core GCC package. If it is already a regular thing then wiki doesn't have an information about it.

Lone_Wolf · 2026-05-07 12:10:16

No need to compile it yourself, look for it in the download cache used by pacman at /var/cache/pacman/pkg .

If it isn't there look in the Arch Linux Archive .

grous · 2026-05-07 12:42:55

Lone_Wolf wrote:

No need to compile it yourself, look for it in the download cache used by pacman at /var/cache/pacman/pkg .
If it isn't there look in the Arch Linux Archive .

But that completely replaces gcc binaries etc. It is much better to have a separate binary for this job. Also we already have that separate binary in extra but i think it should be regulated to keep a older gcc version in the extra repository, not just when a issue comes up.

seth · 2026-05-07 13:56:22

What would be the benefit of maintaining an older gcc that is not a dependency for anything?

grous · 2026-05-07 15:43:28

seth wrote:

What would be the benefit of maintaining an older gcc that is not a dependency for anything?

I think the biggest benefit is time. I could install and use GCC15 for CUDA instead of waiting for it. I don't how much work is to do that but shouldn't be too much right?

seth · 2026-05-07 19:04:14

You wrote:

not just when a issue comes up

But you meant to wrote:

just in case an issue comes up

You wrote:

work … shouldn't be too much right?

But you also wrote:

i avoided compiling the gcc15 from AUR because my internet speed is slow and CPU is old

Ie. you acknowledge that there's an overhead and the justification for the overhead is

yesterday i couldn't wait and installed Ubuntu literally before gcc15 being pushed to extra

Impatience, while in the particular case you could

Lone_Wolf wrote:

If it isn't there look in the Arch Linux Archive .

just downgraded GCC to close the gap.

Arch Linux

#1 2026-05-07 10:45:36

Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

#2 2026-05-07 10:54:35

Re: Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

#3 2026-05-07 11:14:19

Re: Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

#4 2026-05-07 12:10:16

Re: Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

#5 2026-05-07 12:42:55

Re: Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

#6 2026-05-07 13:56:22

Re: Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

#7 2026-05-07 15:43:28

Re: Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

#8 2026-05-07 19:04:14

Re: Keep old GCC versions in extra repository.

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