How to suggest that a maintainer 'cut back'?
duck@duckcorp.org wrote on debian-devel,
in http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2003/debian-devel-200311/msg01218.html:
This nasty behavior shows that being an officiel Debian developer
does not mean quality.
He's referring to Filip Van Raemdock <mechanix@debian.org> uploading some packages
without an ITP or contacting upstream, and (in Duck's opinion) not doing a very
good packaging job. In fact, many of Filip's packages do not show evidence of
good maintenance:
clanlib: current version (in testing and unstable) is NMU, has RC bug
gpdf: current version (in testing and unstable) is NMU, has 17 bugs
xmon: current version (in testing and unstable) is NMU
nurbs++: not built on hppa 4 months, no evidence of work on that;
libtool rebuild bug 121 days
innovation3d: not built on arm 4 months, no evidence of work on that;
segfault bug 96 days
innovation3d-plugins: FTBFS bug for 2 years
eazel-engine: stuff in /usr/doc bug, 209 days
libglpng: 2 bugs because it depends on old libpng2-dev
xracer: error messages on startup (though it still works)
In contrast, the following of his packages seem (on a cursory inspection) to be
in good shape:
freeciv
gnome-apt
gtkcookie
gxset
hermes1 (except that I think it should probably be libhermes1)
ooqstart
shared-mime-info (only in experimental)
wmcube
Some of them have been uploaded quite recently and show quick response to bugs.
Perhaps Filip should consider maintaining fewer packages, only the ones he actually
still has time for and interest in?
Frankly, the same is perfectly likely to be true of plenty of other Debian
developers; I just happened to notice Filip's name come up twice in quick succession.
Is there any recognized way to suggest to developers that they need help with some
of their packages? :-) I don't see one, beyond emailing them (and coming across
as rude and arrogant) or emailing mailing lists (which is probably even worse,
although I just did it).
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