On Thu, Dec 12, 2002 at 01:56:05PM +0100, Marek Habersack wrote: > > catch this bug is trivial, it is not always obvious to a maintainer when > > more testing is needed, or *what* testing is needed -- or what changes > Come on (I will stick to the postgres example) - if I add a test for a > missing postgresql.env file then it's fairly obvious I have to remove that > file and test the code. If the package breaks after installing it because of > a programmatic error in the software itself, fine, we will cope with it. > But, for all saint's sake, may the package install at least! Every single > maintainer should test any change to their packaging scripts. Every, even > the smallest change. And lack of time is not an excuse here because you > rarely change large chunks of code in those scripts. If the test case is > unclear then I agree with you, but cases like that missing postgresql.env or > mozilla incorrectly calling an external script are painfully obvious -- > those packages should never hit even experimental. The bargain of Debian unstable is this: the maintainer tests the package to certain minimum standards, by ensuring that the package can be installed, used, and (hopefully) uninstalled; and he also does whatever other testing he feels he can. In turn, the users get to use the unstable packages, with the understanding that although the maintainer has done his best, they may still contain bugs -- even "silly" bugs -- and they may need to file bug reports to get the package fixed. Any user of unstable who tries to make demands of developers beyond this needs a reality check, because unstable is only viable so long as this symbiotic relationship is present. I'm happy that you have a strong work ethic when it comes to your packages. This does not mean it's reasonable to publically shame other developers who does not live up to your standards, particularly when you admit that you do NOT maintain such large packages, and you are NOT personally willing to help with their maintenance. When a maintainer has little time, *thoroughly testing the package before upload is not necessarily in the best interest of the users*. Unstable exists because developers are human, they make mistakes, they don't all have the same background to know how to best test every change they make. Their fallibility does not mean their contributions should be belittled. Being a chronic pessimist, I'm sure there are some maintainers whose work is so consistently poor that the project would be better off without them; but unless you're willing to adopt their packages or request that they be removed from the archive, dragging a developer through the debian-devel mud is not going to improve anything. -- Steve Langasek postmodern programmer
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