Gentoo Archives: gentoo-dev

From: Jon Portnoy <avenj@g.o>
To: Ryan Phillips <rphillips@g.o>, gentoo-dev@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo: State of the Union
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:00:12
Message-Id: 20060428175248.GA28444@cerberus.oppresses.us
In Reply to: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo: State of the Union by Ryan Phillips
1 On Fri, Apr 28, 2006 at 10:14:53AM -0700, Ryan Phillips wrote:
2 >
3 > I find that developer growth as being a problem. Adding a developer to gentoo
4 > should be as easy as 1. has the user contributed numerous (~5+) patches that
5 > helps the project move forward. If yes, then commit access should be given.
6 > Adding a developer is usually quite a chore. There are numerous reasons why
7 > this is a problem: having a live tree, taking a test, and not defining within
8 > policy when a person could possibly get commit access.
9 >
10 > All these reasons leave the project stagnant and lacking developers.
11 >
12
13 Maybe certain projects are (and maybe there are a lot of undermaintained
14 packages) but overall I would say we are not really lacking developers;
15 what areas would you say we're lacking devs in exactly?
16
17 The recruitment process should be tightened further to ensure we have a
18 solid, educated dev base. This isn't about shutting people out, it's
19 about ensuring that anyone with commit access is well-versed in how we
20 do things.
21
22 > Why do people have to take a test? Is it to make sure they won't break the
23 > tree? If it is, then the solution of a test is wrong. We do want to make sure
24 > our developers understand gentoo, but I argue that the bugtracker is all we
25 > need. As long as a person is adding value to gentoo and they have "proven"
26 > themselves, then they *should* have commit access.
27 >
28
29 Many people with useful contributions can commit garbage due to not
30 quite knowing what they're doing.
31 The quiz process is an attempt to address that. We used to recruit the
32 way you suggest and it worked for years; we've since outgrown that.
33 "Testing" recruits provides further education.
34
35 Admittedly the quiz as it stands is archaic and needs reworking. I
36 believe the recruiters team is working on addressing that.
37
38 >
39 > Everyone here is on the same team. There will be some breakages in the tree
40 > and those can be dealt with. Like Seemant [1] said, herds are just groups of
41 > like *packages*. The QA Policy is wrong when it says cross-team assistance; we
42 > are all on the *same* team. The tree should naturally work. If it doesn't
43 > then that is a bug for all of us.
44 >
45
46 OK, well, realistically we are composed of projects working on various
47 areas of Gentoo that must work together with one another to form a
48 whole. Gentoo is not and should not be one big amorphous blob.
49
50 > Conflict resolution should not be a subproject. It should *not* exist at all.
51 > Rules need to be in place to avoid conflict. Having some sort of voting
52 > structure for all the developers (this doesn't mean requiring everyone to vote)
53 > and not just the council or devrel makes a lot of sense for most things.
54 > If I
55 > don't like how someone is acting within the project there should be a vote and
56 > then see if that person is kicked out. No trial, no anything besides a vote.
57 > And if I lose I have to deal with it. Either stay with the project, or find
58 > something else. This solution just works.
59
60 Why should conflict resolution be a popularity contest?
61
62 >
63 > Gentoo should be a fun environment. The previous paragraph should be taken as
64 > a last resort.
65 >
66 > __Problem: GLEPs__
67 >
68 > I dislike GLEPs. Usually they sit on the website for a long long time not
69 > doing anything. My vote (+1) is get rid of gleps and do everything by email
70 > and a vote by the developers. AFAIK, the board votes on the GLEPs. Bad Idea.
71 > It stifles things from getting done, and there is no ownership of who is going
72 > to implement the idea.
73 >
74 > A new idea proposal should be mailed to a mailinglist (-innovation?) with
75 > details of timeline to completion, impact, and who is doing the implementation.
76 > If it sounds like a good one, then there is a vote and things proceed. I like
77 > progress.
78
79 Well, I think we all like progress. The council votes on GLEPs; I don't
80 see how extending voting to include _all of Gentoo_ would speed things
81 up or contribute to progress... this is why we elect representatives.
82
83 Overall I think this would be a regression.
84
85 --
86 Jon Portnoy
87 avenj/irc.freenode.net
88 --
89 gentoo-dev@g.o mailing list

Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo: State of the Union Ryan Phillips <rphillips@g.o>