My adventures with the NM process, part 3
Hi everyone,
Well, it's been a couple of months since I wrote "My adventures with NM, part
2". Since then, until very recently, nothing happened except that I crept my
way downwards on the NM (New Maintainer) queue[1], heading towards that exciting
point where I got an AM (Application Manageer) asssigned to me.
While waiting I have been learning more about packaging for debian :) I'm now
the proud parent of five packages (kfish, kaquarium, xwrits, knetload and
labplot). The first four are pretty simple (though they weren't simple for a
total beginner), and labplot is giving me all sorts of headaches, but I'm
learning more from that one than all the others combined. I guess this is what
happens with these things. I am extrememly appreciative of the help that my
sponsor and other people are giving me with packaging labplot - I've lately
taken to such things as ambushing people on irc to ask for help, and mailing the
mailing lists for different architectures, all in search of The Answer.
Everyone so far has been nice about the things I don't know, which is reassuring.
So far, three of my packages are new in debian and two are adopted from DDs who
didn't want to maintain those any more. I'm planning to adopt one more sometime
soon (when I get around to fixing some of the code in it, that is). Then I
expect I'll sit back and take stock of things. I don't want to over-commit
myself to this stuff, so it's better to proceed slowly, I think.
Anyway, I'm finally up to some "real" stuff with my NM application, and yes, I'm
going to have to actually do some work for it <sigh>. Frank Lichtenheld was
assigned to be my AM the other day. He sent me a friendly email, asking stuff
like how I came to be interested in debian, why I want to volunteer my time, and
so on. And he needed to know the ID for my gpg key, which has already been
signed by another debian developer. So now debian knows that someone they trust
has identified me as being who I say I am. I guess that means I exist :)
In the next step it will get harder... ;) I expect Frank will send me a bunch
of questions about debian philosophy and proceedures next. So I have to go over
things like the DFSG[2] and some stuff from the policy manual[3]. I reckon this
part at least won't kill me, though the tasks and skills questions that come
after that may. But for now it's all good, and I'm pleased to be getting going
with this stuff.
If anyone else is interested in applying to be a New Maintainer, you should take
a look in the New Maintainers Corner[4], if you haven't already done so. There
is lots of useful and interesting information there.
Helen :)
1. http://nm.debian.org/nmlist.php
2. http://www.debian.org/social_contract
3. http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/
4. http://www.debian.org/devel/join/newmaint
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