[Soc-coordination] Possible GSoC idea: (Near) real-time updates of (UDD) bug view

[Nicolas Dandrimont]

Hi,

* Niels Thykier <niels at thykier.net> [2013-03-07 09:25:40 +0100]:

> At the moment, UDD runs an update script about once every 3 hours (and a
> slightly more extensive run once a day)[1].  Optimally, we would have no
> delay at all - there are IRC bots that post the bugs within a minute or
> two of them being opened or closed[1].
> 
> It does not have to be UDD's bug view; if you can create a live updated
> bug view with good filtering on top of the Debian BTS that would be fine
> with me as well.  As long as the result is good for finding and
> squashing RC bugs or finding packages that are missing an unblock[2].
> 
> To get all the information in near real time (e.g the "Affects Wheezy"
> and "Affects sid" information), I guess that the BTS side /may/ need
> changes as well.
> 
> I admit the idea is not well fleshed out or researched, so it may need a
> bit of work to mold it into a proper GSoC.  It would also need mentors
> that are actually familiar with UDD or/and the BTS on a development
> basis (my experience is limted to "user").
> 
> ~Niels
> 
> [1] http://udd.debian.org/crontabs.txt
> 
> The "extensive" part appears to just be "bugs-archive".  Doing that once
> per day should be fine (bugs are not archived faster than that anyway).
> 
> [2] UDD has a decent view of this here:
> 
> http://udd.debian.org/bugs.cgi?release=wheezy_not_sid&merged=ign&unblock-hint=ign&fnewerval=7&rc=1&sortby=id&sorto=asc&chints=1&ctags=1&cdeferred=1&crttags=1

Thanks for your idea, it sounds like a worthwile project!

I added owner at bugs into the loop, as that's their area and, it would be great if
they could co-mentor.

From my limited knowledge of debbugs (I helped set up an instance of it when a
project I participated in evaluated a few trackers, but that's about it), I can
see that project done two ways:

 - Update UDD real-time by plugging into the stream of updates (not sure how the
   bots do it... via debian-bugs-dist@ ?)
 - (Going out on a limb here...) move debbugs to a more full-fledged relational
   database backend, and plug a new frontend into that. There was such a project
   idea last year, but noone stepped up to mentor it. Maybe this year?

Although the first version seems easier, and maybe more realistic to pull off,
the second version might be more interesting in the long term: while UDD is a
growingly important piece of infrastructure, the BTS is really critical, and
AIUI mostly a one-man operation. If there is a BTS GSoC project, the codebase
will gain visibility, and it might help recruiting new people.

In any case, that idea should be listed on the wiki[1], so that people can chime
in, and prospective students can take a look.

[1] http://wiki.debian.org/SummerOfCode2013/Projects

Thanks again,
-- 
Nicolas Dandrimont

"We all know Linux is great...it does infinite loops in 5 seconds."
(Linus Torvalds about the superiority of Linux on the Amsterdam
Linux Symposium)