Re: Four days
On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 12:07 AM, Raymond Wan <r.wan@aist.go.jp> wrote:
> But about Paul's message, one thing that would be nice to have is a
> checklist or a "decision tree" for people to submit proposed packages.
> I did look through the documentation on how to create a package and
> it is complete...but as with all things that are complete, it is also
> a bit verbose. :-) But besides the checklist already there, perhaps
> have one which has "yes/no" questions and if they are all yes', then
> it's time to find a sponsor. If a mentor finds out they were lax in
> following the checklist, then maybe consider a temporary "black
> list"...i.e., they can't ask for a sponsor for a fixed amount of time
> or a particular package is blocked for a fixed amount of time. Seems
> worrying if mentors' time is being abused...maybe it is ok now [???]
> but if things continue, then their time could be used for other things
> (i.e., replying on this mailing list, which was the start of this
> thread?).
There are many checklists, none automated, except for lintian, which
is used in many RFS mails, but many folks rely on the outdated version
on mentors.d.n that doesn't run the full battery of lintian tests.
http://ftp-master.debian.org/REJECT-FAQ.html
http://wiki.debian.org/SponsorChecklist
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianMentorsNet#Metrics
> I also have another question as someone who is just a user and
> probably doesn't know much. But are packages that are uploaded into
> Debian ever removed? I've used Debian for many years and I think it
> is great how all the packages work together flawlessly, but one minor
> annoyance is the number of packages that do the same thing. Having a
> choice is always great, but one cannot tell if a package is actively
> maintained or was someone's "pet package" that isn't looked after
> anymore.
Yes, (many many) packages are removed:
http://ftp-master.debian.org/#pending
http://ftp-master.debian.org/#removed
http://wiki.debian.org/ftpmaster_Removals
Some of these are useful and others not. Personally I'd like to see
more removals and automated removals to motivate folks to keep their
stuff in shape.
Looking at the package's PTS page is one of the best ways to find out
if a package is actively maintained:
http://packages.qa.debian.org/common/index.html
> Or maybe there is an option to "aptitude" that lists the packages in
> order of last update?
That wouldn't be that helpful unless it could differentiate
maintainer-uploads from one-shot NMUs to fix RC bugs.
> Even so, I haven't heard of a way for neglected packages to leave
> Debian. Is it possible or is it because distribution by CDs and even
> DVDs is disappearing, it doesn't matter anymore?
See above.
--
bye,
pabs
http://wiki.debian.org/PaulWise
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