Re: Q: on Debian Bug-Tracking system
Wayne Topa <wtopa@dmcom.net> writes:
> Would someone know if the bugs listed on debian.org/Bugs are the
> 'current' outstanding bugs or just of all the bugs ever posted?
It lists the all the bugs filed that the maintainer has not yet
closed, which is likely someway between current outstanding and
all bugs ever posted.
Sometimes things get fixed in the upstream without the maintainer
noticing it, sometimes the maintainer fixed it but forgot to close
the bug report, and sometimes a bug report is nothing but a feature
request. It depends.
> In working up a course outline for an up-coming class, I found
> a bunch of 'inconsistencies' in the doc packages (doc-base, dhelp,
> dwww). I decides to report them and was somewhat dismayed at the
> list of 'old' bugs that are still outstanding. 434 days, 866 days
> and 1192 days, for each of the above packages. Now hopefully these
> 'bugs' are minor and/or do not affect the overall use of the programs,
> or are fixed and the tracking system has not caught up yet. I hope
> the latter. For newbies like my class is, the doc system is the best
> way for them to get the 'warm fuzzy' feeling about how easy the system
> is to work with. If it doesn't work, as advertised in the man pages,
> then that feeling is effected.
I've been using dhelp and dwww quite a bit and although there are some
quirks it is mostly functional; at least for what I use it for: browse
documentation installed at a central site so I don't waste disk space
all over the place.
Be honest to your class. Tell them that the system mostly works as
documented, but since documentation is always trailing the latest and
greatest version there may be some discrepancies. The bigger the time
lag between version and documentation, well, it's obvious isn't it.
For example, there are some HOWTOs available that haven't been updated
for two years. Of course you should not expect the information in
there to be correct. The pace of change is just too fast.
> I haven't looked at the bug list in awhile and it surprised me.
> I will not refer the students to 'that' page as it puts what, IMO,
> is the Best Linux Distribution, in a less then favorable light.
> Honest, but not favorable.
Better that than a bunch of favorable lies ;-)
--
Olaf Meeuwissen Epson Kowa Corporation, Research and Development
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