Only checks for developer_name which is now deprecated and replaced by developer (only since AppStream 1.0)

[travier]

Since AppStream 1.0 release (https://github.com/ximion/appstream/blob/edb25f166d43df9a489c26ef78548bb37b730981/NEWS#L76), the developer_name tag is now deprecated and replaced by developer.

The linter currently only checks for the developer_name tag:

flatpak-builder-lint/flatpak_builder_lint/appstream.py

Line 39 in 7105a96

developer = components(path)[0].xpath("developer_name")

[bbhtt]

Please use developer_name like the docs say https://docs.flathub.org/docs/for-app-authors/appdata-guidelines/#name-summary-and-developer-name until libappstream migration happens which is tracked separately in flathub/flathub#4882.

Can't allow just the developer and no developer_name tag until the migration happens because the website (and other parts of infra) will loose developer names/grouping based on that and break.

[travier]

Yes, we likely also want to support pre-appstream 1.0 systems for a while so there is no rush. I raised this issue so that we have a trace.

[bbhtt]

Solved by 7bcac8e I should work now if either tag is present.

But I'm switching the recommendation to the latest spec supported developer with the name child tag in docs. flathub-infra/documentation#228

[travier]

I'm not sure we can do that yet. Have you verified that older appstream accept the new developer tag?

[bbhtt]

That's just the recommendation, you can use either one and it's going to be fine.

By older appstream do you mean appstream-glib or older versions of appstreamcli? If it's the former, it will not show an error on validation, it ignores the new tag.

[bbhtt]

Looks like "older" appstreamcli 0.16.1 (the version shipped in Fedora 39 right now for me), emits a harmless warning "unknown-tag-developer" on appstreamcli validate but the composed catalogue data removes the new developer tag (tested it on the current Slack package). So that's going to get caught by the linter unless you have developer_name too in the metainfo file. Maybe talk to @ximion about this.

Flathub uses appstreamcli 1.0.1 with a few unreleased patches. So everything should work fine there.

I guess if your upstream CI still has to use older appstream (be it as-glib or appstreamcli), continue using developer_name and everything should work on Flathub/linter.

So from the linter's or Flathub's perspective the issue in the title is solved.

[ximion]

Is there a chance older CI could update to AppStream 0.16.4, potentially? That would also resolve it without introducing any breaking changes.

[bbhtt]

Let's close this. I see it is being discussed and resolved on the KDE side https://invent.kde.org/packaging/flatpak-kde-applications/-/issues/5

The original issue in the title is solved anyways.