Changes/SDL12onSDL2

Replace SDL 1.2 with sdl12-compat using SDL 2.0

Summary

This Change proposes to replace SDL 1.2 with sdl12-compat, which uses SDL 2.0.

Owner

• Name: Neal Gompa
• Email: ngompa13@gmail.com

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora Linux 35
• Last updated: 2021-05-24
• FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

SDL 1.2 development ended long ago, with SDL 2.0 replacing it. However, many older games still use SDL 1.2 and cannot change to SDL 2.0. In order to help move SDL 1.2 games into the modern world, let's replace SDL 1.2 with sdl12-compat, which uses SDL 2.0.

Benefit to Fedora

Switching SDL 1.2 powered games to use sdl12-compat offers significant advantages:

• Automatic support for Wayland with SDL 2.0.16+
• Native support for PipeWire for audio
• Massively improved support for inputs (including gamepads)

Ultimately, SDL 2.0 is actively maintained and developed. We want applications that use SDL to use an actively maintained codebase.

Scope

• Proposal owners:
  • Package libsdl12-compat (RH#1960960)
  • Retire SDL completely, as replacement development headers are available

• Other developers: N/A

• Release engineering: #10118

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Alignment with Objectives: N/A

Upgrade/compatibility impact

The SDL package would be transparently upgraded to libsdl12-compat package and games using it should just transparently start using SDL 2.0.

How To Test

1. Swap SDL for sdl12-compat: dnf swap SDL sdl12-compat

2. Run something that uses SDL 1.2 like icebreaker and see that it works.

User Experience

There shouldn't be a noticeable user impact, other than possibly a smoother experience because applications are using SDL 2.0.

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: Unretire SDL.
• Contingency deadline: Final Freeze
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No

Documentation

• A discussion on devel mailing list
• Upstream's compatibility list
• sdl12-compat package review

Release Notes

Games that use SDL 1.2 will now transparently use SDL 2.0 through the sdl12-compat package. This makes it so applications that historically used SDL 1.2 now use SDL 2.0.