[Debtags-devel] Re: debram: 100 % prelim for sarge

[Giacomo A. Catenazzi]

Hello Thaddeus,

I've some comments:
IMHO there is some more months before sarge release.
Today annonce:
"31 July		Hard-freeze of base+standard",
so only base and standard packages are effected.
I think extra packages can be updated also in september.
[But in such case, the code should be already frozen, else
embarassing bug can appear]

How to do handle releases:
I think a good method is to split data, so that
date can be eventually downloaded later (thus with
updated data), but this method should be good tested,
so IMO it is something to do for the sarge+1.
("split data" means, data should be indipendent to
binary release, and data can be downloaded directly
from files (not to require a package update)

Alpha.
I'm a DD, so I have access to alpha machines:
http://db.debian.org/machines.cgi
I think I can manually build and upload alpha.
(I never did before).

To do:
I've sent you a bug correction (patch) to debian/rules,
and I think I should be uploaded. So in next month you should
eventually collect other changes/bug corrections, so that
we can upload it before sarge release. Earlier is better,
so that we can have more public tests.

About the comment about releas intermediate versions:
Really I meant only if you have time and you have some
work already done. A linux developers motto: "Release earlier,
release often" (credit to Linus or ESR, I think)

ciao
	cate


Thaddeus H. Black wrote:
> I happened to be on-line when your message came
> in.  Unfortunately I will not be much available
> for Debian during the coming three weeks.  This
> is bad freeze timing, I know; but I cannot help
> it now.  I am willing to get NMU help during
> this period if needed.  On the other hand, for
> my own part, I do feel content to let sarge
> debram be released after sarge.
> 
> Giacomo wrote,
> 
> 
>>If you can split the task, i.e. doing first the
>>important priority and eventually also the standard
>>priority packages, so that we can already upload something
>>in sarge.
> 
> 
> Fair enough.  With the Alpha autobuilder out of
> action, though, I had thought that even our most
> recent upload debram_0.4.2 was probably
> impossible for sarge.  It is now 16 days old,
> waiting on Alpha.  Hundreds of updates are
> waiting on Alpha, not just ours.  Do you know
> something about this which I do not know?
> 
> 
>>Ev. you could prepare a README.Debian file where
>>you refer to your work and where to find the
>>complete sarge version when completed.
> 
> 
> Okay.  Should the file just say to look for it
> in sid?  Or is there something better it could
> say?
> 
> I admit that I have never thought that sarge
> debram would be in the sarge release.  This is
> why it is Priority `extra': woody debram is in
> the sarge release; debram is one release behind.
> The debram has no practical mechanism yet to get
> it into the same release it covers!  This is
> because it needs a final release package list
> before it itself can properly be packaged.  Few
> other packages have such a need.  This is pretty
> much a unique debtags/debram problem.
> 
> The problem is eventually surmountable, and I
> would be surprised if Enrico did not have some
> good ideas about how to handle it for sarge+1
> (when debram will have merged into debtags); but
> are we ready to tackle this problem yet?  This
> is not just a development issue; it is also a
> Debian Project operational issue.  I am not even
> a DD yet; and debram is not established, widely
> installed or broadly tested (popcon installed
> 85, vote 17).  The release team would be
> unlikely to listen to me.  In fact, I doubt that
> they have ever even heard of me, or the debram.
> I cannot go there now.  The ground is not
> prepared.  Under Enrico's debtags leadership, we
> are drawing some big guns out onto the field of
> battle, but it is going to be a while (how long,
> Enrico? another year?) before we can really
> advance with maximum force.
> 
> Now, if some DD with bigger free-software
> shoulders than mine felt strongly enough that he
> wanted to step in and personally make sarge
> debram go for sarge; I would welcome his NMUs
> and would assist him in any way that I could.
> Otherwise, I remain content to release sarge
> debram after sarge.  Because of the peculiar
> nature and needs of debram, this is so much
> simpler.
> 
> For sarge+1, debram is planned to be a part of
> debtags, no longer a separate package.  I feel
> confident that Enrico will have some good plans
> for tackling the big Debian Project operational
> issue then.
> 
> Anyway, Giacomo, you have mentored me well thus
> far.  I appreciate this and I trust your advice.
> If you want me to proceed differently, just let
> me know.  Only remember that I will have limited
> Debian availability for the next three weeks.
>