Support downloading Conan revisions

Proposal

Add Support for Downloading Conan Revisions to the GitLab Registry

Background

GitLab supports Conan package management, allowing users to publish and download Conan packages. However, support for downloading specific Conan revisions is missing, limiting the full potential of Conan integration within GitLab.

Objective

Implement support for downloading specific Conan revisions in the GitLab Package Registry. This will enhance GitLab's Conan integration and provide users with more granular control over their C/C++ dependencies.

Benefits

• Improved version control: Users can access specific revisions of Conan packages, ensuring reproducibility in their builds.
• Enhanced compatibility: Better alignment with Conan's versioning system, making GitLab more attractive to Conan users.
• Increased adoption: Potential to attract more C/C++ developers to GitLab's ecosystem.
• Competitive advantage: Keeping pace with or surpassing competitors in Conan support.

Success Metrics

• Increase in Conan package downloads from GitLab Registry
• Growth in the number of projects using Conan packages within GitLab
• Positive user feedback and reduced feature requests related to Conan revision support

Risks and Mitigation

• Risk: Potential performance impact on the package registry
• Risk: Compatibility issues with older Conan clients

Next Steps

• Conduct a detailed technical feasibility study
• Engage with the Conan community for feedback on the proposed implementation.
• Create a detailed project plan and assign resources.

By implementing support for downloading Conan revisions, GitLab will strengthen its position in the C/C++ development ecosystem and provide more value to its users, potentially driving increased adoption and user satisfaction.