<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Joerg Jaspert</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:joerg@ganneff.de">joerg@ganneff.de</a>></span><br>Date: 2008/10/23<br>
Subject: Developer Status<br>To: <a href="mailto:debian-devel-announce@lists.debian.org">debian-devel-announce@lists.debian.org</a><br><br><br>Developer Status<br>
================<br>
<br>
Summary of this post<br>
--------------------<br>
Discussions in the past have made it clear that the current<br>
definition of "Debian Developer" (AKA someone who is a member of the<br>
Debian project) should be modified and made more flexible. There<br>
have been attempts in the past to do something similar, notably<br>
Debian Maintainers (DM) [GR-DM], and to some extent<br>
<a href="http://debian-community.org" target="_blank">debian-community.org</a> [D-C], but these have only addressed parts of<br>
the whole issue.<br>
<br>
We plan to integrate DM more closely into the NM process/system<br>
while keeping the spirit of easing entry into Debian for newcomers.<br>
At the same time we add a separate track for less-technical<br>
contributors.<br>
<br>
<br>
If you are an existing Debian Developer or Debian Maintainer, don't be<br>
afraid, we are not going to take anything away from you.<br>
<br>
<br>
Currently becoming a Debian Developer means passing through all of the<br>
New Maintainer process. People that passed this get the @<a href="http://debian.org" target="_blank">debian.org</a><br>
mail-forwarding, an account on all (developer-accessible) Debian<br>
machines, voting and upload rights. It is a process that requires<br>
work from prospective Developers, and depending on their available time<br>
and the effort put into it, it can take a bit of time.<br>
<br>
<br>
Some time ago a few Developers thus went and pushed forward the<br>
"Debian Maintainer" status. DM allows newcomers to upload their<br>
packages relatively early, without having to go through the "full" NM<br>
process. So far it has worked quite well for the people involved, but<br>
the way it was instantiated outside of most existing structures has<br>
always made other groups in Debian uncomfortable. The ftp-masters<br>
have to deal with the technical implementation that does not fit well<br>
with the rest of the archive, and the account and keyring managers<br>
would like to remain the authoritative source for "who is in Debian".<br>
<br>
<br>
Debian is about developing a free operating system, but there's more<br>
in an operating system than just software and packages. If we want<br>
translators, documentation writers, artists, free software advocates,<br>
et al. to get endorsed by the project and feel proud for it, we need<br>
some way to acknowledge that. This is where our proposal comes in.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Now let us describe the way the account status is meant to be handled<br>
in future.<br>
<br>
A new user can start out in two ways depending on their personal<br>
preference. The first is the non-technical way:<br>
<br>
Debian Contributor<br>
------------------<br>
A DC is someone that has a strong relation with Debian through the work<br>
they are doing for/around Debian. Possible examples are translators and<br>
documentation writers.<br>
<br>
DC have to pass the ID check, agree to the Social Contract/DFSG and have<br>
successfully answered a set of questions[DCDMQ] similar to the ones used<br>
in the current first P&P step.[TEMPL]<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The second way is the technical one:<br>
<br>
Debian Maintainer<br>
-----------------<br>
A DM has the same strong relation with Debian a DC has, but additionally<br>
wants to maintain a limited set of packages without the help of a sponsor.<br>
<br>
A DM has to pass the same checks a DC has and very few questions from the<br>
T&S part[DCDMQ].<br>
<br>
A (very) small T&S basically, the most important T&S questions for them.<br>
<br>
They are allowed to upload their own (source) package. The allowed list<br>
of (source) packages to upload can be edited by any member of the NM<br>
committee[NMC], who will do a package check before they add new packages<br>
to the DM's list.<br>
In contrast to current DM this is based on source packages and allows<br>
uploads of new binary components, which have to pass NEW, too.<br>
<br>
While, strictly speaking, this increases the barrier to get DM compared<br>
to the current implementation of DM, we do not think it is an<br>
unreasonable or too high level. Anyone who is able to get a package put<br>
together in a lintian clean way will be able to get DM without much<br>
effort or time used.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Those two "classes" are the initial set in which every NM will end<br>
up. After six months as DC or DM one might chose to become a<br>
Debian Member or Debian Developer. This<br>
- ensures that the interest in Debian isn't short-term.<br>
- enables them to learn more about the workings in Debian and generally<br>
helps them for the next step.<br>
- leaves everyone the option to stay DC or DM, if they do not want/need<br>
more rights.<br>
<br>
<br>
After the 6 months time in Debian Contributor/Maintainer are passed,<br>
applicants can apply to get Debian Developer status. There are now 2<br>
different "classes" of DD status available, one with and one without<br>
upload rights. To not add confusion we selected to name them "Debian<br>
member" (no upload rights) and "Debian Developer" (upload rights).<br>
Both are project members, i.e. with voting and all other constitutional<br>
rights, the term "classes" does not indicate any kind of "first" or<br>
"second" level membership.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Debian Member<br>
-------------<br>
A DME is someone that previously had DC or DM for at least 6 months but<br>
additionally want to have voting rights or needs a login on a <a href="http://debian.org" target="_blank">debian.org</a><br>
machine for their work.<br>
<br>
A DME can nominate themself as DPL, can be delegated rights from the DPL<br>
and can start any GR, basically do everything our foundation documents<br>
allow project members to do.<br>
<br>
DME are not able to freely upload any package, but DME can have the same<br>
upload rights a DM can have, ie. own packages, if they follow(ed) the DM<br>
rules for this.<br>
<br>
Following our Constitution ยง8.1.2, DAM declares that Debian Members are<br>
to be treated as "Developers who do not maintain packages" wherever the<br>
term "Developer" is used in one of our documents.<br>
<br>
<br>
Debian Developer<br>
----------------<br>
A DD is exactly the same as a DME, with the one and only notable<br>
exception that a DD can freely upload any package to the archive.<br>
<br>
To become a DD one has to pass all the checks a DM has to pass and<br>
additionally answer all the rest of the questions from the T&S steps in<br>
NM.<br>
[Or do whatever T&S checks are used by the AM. Focusing on the questions<br>
is just for this procedure, as we are used to them.]<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://contributor.debian.org" target="_blank">contributor.debian.org</a> mail<br>
---------------------------<br>
We are considering to implement an @<a href="http://contributor.debian.org" target="_blank">contributor.debian.org</a> mail<br>
forwarding setup which would be open for DC/DM too. Such addresses would<br>
continue to be valid even after a person becomes a DD/DME. If sufficient<br>
support for the idea is found then this will probably be implemented<br>
once the new <a href="http://debian.org" target="_blank">debian.org</a> mail setup is in place.<br>
<br>
<br>
Changes to existing Debian Developers<br>
-------------------------------------<br>
No changes are done to existing Debian Developers, until they ask for<br>
it. If you want to drop down to DME, no matter if you want to keep a few<br>
packages maintained like a DM does, drop the NM-Committee a mail.<br>
<br>
<br>
Changes to existing Debian Maintainers and NMs<br>
----------------------------------------------<br>
No changes will be done to existing Debian Maintainers, and the<br>
6 months waiting time will not be applied to NMs who have already<br>
applied to become DD, unless they ask to be handled using the new way.<br>
<br>
There is one exception - the handling of the packages allowed to upload<br>
will change. In future this will be a list maintained by the NM-committee.<br>
At the time of migrating from the old to the new way, Ftpmaster will<br>
convert the existing DM-Upload-Allowed fields into that list, so there<br>
should be no interruption in your ability to upload. The converted list<br>
will be made public before this happens, so to be sure - please check<br>
it at that time. (Follow debian-devel-announce and you will notice it).<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Applications and Advocations<br>
----------------------------<br>
NM applicants, no matter if it is for Debian Contributor or Maintainer<br>
status, have to sign up using the interface provided at<br>
<a href="http://nm.debian.org" target="_blank">nm.debian.org</a>[NMDO]. This application, as well as the advocation mail<br>
From one or more existing Debian Member or Developer will be copied to<br>
the debian-newmaint mailinglist for public review.<br>
<br>
<br>
Changes to the DM Keyring<br>
-------------------------<br>
Keyring management will be moved to the control of keyring-maint. The<br>
NM committee will decide who will be added or removed, similiar to the<br>
way keyring-maint and DAM currently work together.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Footnotes<br>
=========<br>
[DCDMQ] The intention is that the NM-Committee will select the actual<br>
set of questions used, not this mail. It can easily be adjusted to fit<br>
whatever the current situation may want to have. For DM we imagine it<br>
would be a very limited T&S set, like making sure someone can deal with<br>
the BTS and knows the basic tools (lintian, dput/dupload, debsign). It<br>
is not meant as a full (first part) of NM and lots of boring tasks<br>
before one get DM, but as a basic check for a minimum knowledge.<br>
<br>
[TEMPL] <a href="http://svn.debian.org/viewsvn/nm/trunk/nm-templates/" target="_blank">http://svn.debian.org/viewsvn/nm/trunk/nm-templates/</a><br>
<br>
[GR-DM] <a href="http://vote.debian.org/something" target="_blank">http://vote.debian.org/something</a><br>
<br>
[D-C] <a href="http://debian-community.org/" target="_blank">http://debian-community.org/</a><br>
<br>
[NMDO] This interface helps multiple things, like making sure no<br>
applicants chose an already existing account name, giving a<br>
central place to look at the current NM status, clearly showing<br>
what is going on/missing for an applicant.<br>
<br>
[NMC] The NM-committee is currently defined as (see<br>
<a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-newmaint/2003/10/msg00001.html" target="_blank">http://lists.debian.org/debian-newmaint/2003/10/msg00001.html</a>):<br>
<br>
An AM is a member of the NM committee if a) they are not marked as<br>
inactive (i.e. if they haven't retired as an AM) and b) if they've<br>
approved an applicant in the last six months.<br>
<br>
Every Debian Developer (and in future Member too) can join the<br>
NMcommittee by simply becoming an AM and successfully processing<br>
at least one applicant.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
--<br>
bye, Joerg<br>
Free beer is something that I am never going to drink and free speech is<br>
something that people are never going to be allowed to. ;)<br>
</font></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Vikram Vincent<br>+919448810822<br><a href="http://swatantra.org/">http://swatantra.org/</a><br>