Re: nginx

[Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>]

Gerfried Fuchs <rhonda@deb.at> writes:
> * Andrew Sharp <andy.sharp@lsi.com> [2010-01-18 23:41:54 CET]:

>> Of all the areas, backporting is the easiest.  It's the natural best
>> place for newbies start out and cut their teeth.

>  This I highly disagree with. Backports is meant as addition for the
> stable release. The stable release is known to actually _be_ stable -
> and people would also expect some sort of stability/relieability with
> respect to packages from backports. When even long-standing Debian
> Developer's like Bubulle or me fail at times in this area then actually
> I really don't want to see even more issues pop up just because it's
> seen as being "easiest" or "place for newbies" - because it just isn't.

>  People are using packages from stable - and with that also packages
> _for_ stable - on production systems. Having some sort of relieable
> quality in here is a very valid request and wish and I don't think that
> people would like to dig around who actually maintains the backport to
> check wether they could trust the package or not to some degree. I'm
> very glad that Alex is doing the gatekeeper job in this respect - even
> though it doesn't gain him any sympathy or nice words.

I think this is a very important point and I want to emphasize it as
well.  Debian normally has a fairly extensive aging process before any
package reaches a stable release, with lots of people using the package
who are willing to report bugs (at least for packages that see a fair bit
of use).  Backports are sort of like playing without a net.  They get very
little testing before being made directly available to stable users: only
the testing that the uploader does before uploading.

The changes are usually minimal from a version that's in testing, which
helps, but I still get nervous whenever I upload a backport.  It's one of
those things that works 90% of the time and looks really easy, but the 10%
cases can be a significant challenge.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>