Re: [gentoo-dev] Re: aging ebuilds with unstable keywords - how can we help?

[Robert Cernansky]

(I subscribed to -dev only a while ago so I can use only this message
to reply. So take this as more general reply. I used quotes from other
mails also. Hopefully it is not too confusing.)


On Thu, 27 Jul 2006 11:11:33 -0700 Richard Fish <bigfish@××××××××××.org> wrote:

> On 7/27/06, Chris Gianelloni <wolf31o2@g.o> wrote:
>
> > testing.  Sure, we could probably stabilize a bunch of the fringe
> > packages that hardly anyone uses and it wouldn't affect anything.
>
> The majority of Aliz's database seems to be made up of these "fringe"
> packages.  Many of which are stable on at least one arch already, or
> have only a single version in the tree anyway.  Stabilizing these on
> the remaining archs that they support should not have any significant
> impact on the perceived overall quality of Gentoo.

This sounds good. I agree. But the problem is probably:

Chris Gianelloni wrote:
> But, nobody likes doing the small stuff, and I can't blame them.

I understand. I do not expect that these packages will have same
attention by developers as major ones. I would understand if
stabilisation or version bumping will be slower than normal. But at
least it should be done somewhen.

> > Seriously, folks.  If you think that packages should be available
> > faster, run ~arch.  Test the packages.  Report successes/failures
> > to the maintainers.  File stabilization bugs if your favorite
> > package hasn't had another bug in 30 days and you've been using
> > it.

Yes, we (users) should help. But I can't have impression that when
I don't ask for stabilisation/version bump it simply never happen.

Moving of package (updating/stabilizing) is also my motivation to make
and submit a new ebuild. If the package never moves without my further
interaction why should I bother by making an ebuld? I'll rather take
tar.gz, unpack & build it. It will be less work for now (I do not need
to make ebuild) and also for future (I do not need to fill bugs that
package should be included/keyworded/stabilized/bumped to new
version+updating the ebuild).

>From the user point of view it is simply lot of work, lot of
maintaining a distribution to fill a bug for every action that should
be made on package.

Again, I agree that we should help, but if our busyness does not allow
it for a while, the packages should move anyway.

> > Basically, help out, rather than sitting back and complaining.
> > Complaining helps nobody.

But it is also good to know what users think about your work, how they
feel when using Gentoo. It is not big complaint from me. I'm not
saying that I'm unhappy with Gentoo. I'm happy with it, but there is
a chance that I can be happier. ;-)

Stefan Schweizer <genstef@g.o> wrote:
> As a better system I would like to see packages stable automatically
> after 30 days and no bugs. But this is probably not going to happen
> with gentoo so I just stay away from stable and put ACCEPT_KEYWORDS
> in my make.conf

I agree with others that this can cause a big quality drop. Maybe it
should be done that way, that only _some_ packages will be allowed to
stabilize automatically. And it could be just these "fringe"
packages. It would solve doing that small suff that nobody likes.

Robert


-- 
Robert Cernansky
E-mail: hslists2@××××××.sk
Jabber: HS@××××××.sk

-- 
gentoo-dev@g.o mailing list