[Pkg-dns-devel] Tracking packaging files for knot / knot-resolver in upstream

[Daniel Kahn Gillmor]

Hi Tomas--

On Mon 2018-03-26 13:07:39 +0200, Tomas Krizek wrote:
> That's a good point. It's definitely useful to be able to make packaging
> changes without the need for an upstream release. We'll just keep the
> packaging files in distro/deb/*, so it doesn't cause any conflicts.

sounds good!

> 1. How do we get these changes from upstream to debian?
> It'd be good if you could take a look the changes in the upstream
> packaging files (distro/deb/debian/) when preparing a debian release and
> sync these changes to debian. In case additional changes are needed
> (e.g. for policy reasons), then these can be made in debian downstream.

that sounds like a good plan, and i'll try to remember to do that.  If
you notice me uploading a new version to debian without adopting some of
your changes, i would be happy to be nudged about it, either here or in
the debian BTS.

if you have upstream changes to debian packaging that i think we
distinctly *do not* want in debian, i'll probably write you about it
directly. (maybe on the knot-resolver-users mailing list? or would you
prefer that conversation to happen here?)

> 2. How do we get the changes from debian to upstream?
> - Let's say you decide to make some significant changes or clean up.
> It'd be great if this work could be done in upstream files, which would
> then get synced to debian during the next release.

sure, i can try to do this.

It's possible (likely?) that i'll do package experimentation on a
separate branch anyway, and might even prefer to do it as a debian
release for an existing version (e.g. 1.6.4-3 uses old packaging
technique, 1.6.4-4 uses overhauled packaging).  Doing it this way
provides easier bug identification and triage than if major packaging
changes also coincide with major upstream changes.

But i'm happy to also replay the same series of patches on a branch
against upstream master and to post a merge request to the cz.nic gitlab
instance in the event that i end up doing some sort of major overhaul.

I'd probably run the ideas by you upstream before i start any really
crazy overhaul anyway :)

> - The smaller changes or policy requirements can be handled separately
> in debian downstream. I could keep an eye on the debian repos and modify
> our upstream files accordingly every now and then.

sounds reasonable.  if i remember, i'll try to file even the littler
changes as merge requests against upstream too, unless you've got any
objections to that.

Thanks very much for your friendly suggestions for coordination -- this
is exactly the kind of relationship i like to have with an upstream
whose software i'm working on for debian, so i really appreciate the
thoughtfulness and the deliberation here.

               --dkg