[Utnubu-discuss] Collaboration between Ubuntu and Debian on the Ubuntu side: a proposal

[Gustavo Franco]

On 1/23/06, Lucas Nussbaum <lucas at lucas-nussbaum.net> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've worked on a proposal aiming at improving the collaboration with
> Debian on Ubuntu's side (addressing mainly bug/changes-feedbacking to
> Debian).
>
> Can you review and comment on https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DCT ?
>

Hi Lucas,

I think we can update ajmitch' spec[0] (or just burn that and start
from scratch with his approval) with the final version of this
document. Btw, I've some comments about its current content:

"The Debian maintainer reacts promptly to all input by the DCT. This
mean acknowledging bug reports and commenting them in days, not weeks.

The Debian maintainer has to upload a new package with the changes as
soon as possible to keep the divergence between Debian and Ubuntu as
low as possible. This means weeks, not months."

I think the text above needs work, simple because as you said well:
"We all are volunteers, and have lives. This sometimes creates
additional delays."

I like this part about how DCT should work: "By monitoring new
versions of the Ubuntu packages being uploaded to Ubuntu and reviewing
the changes in them.". The team could stop monitoring a package from a
MIA (missing in action) debian developer, reporting the problem to the
MIA team (in Debian) when necessary. It should be documented, in a
possible interface or just clear in a bug report (Debian BTS). In
special cases (basically RC bugs) the DDs in DCT will just do NMUs.
With that in mind, i suggest you replace that text above with:

"The Debian maintainer needs to react promptly (in weeks, not months)
if not, the DCT will just stop monitoring its packages, documenting
the problem properly. In special cases, Debian Developers in DCT will
do NMUs and even report the maintainer as MIA (missing in action) when
necessary." .

There's nothing new with the NMU and MIA part of the text, it's just
to inform "ubuntu-only" people and maybe we need a more clear text.
The new thing is just the "stop monitoring" and "document it
somewhere". Once the package maintainer came back, he can ask the DCT
team to keep him updated with ubuntu stuff.

[0] = https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/motu-debian

Hope that helps,
Gustavo Franco