Bug#1111953: debbugs: Auto-close bugs fixed in all supported dists after a time out
On 24/08/25 at 23:36 +0200, Niels Thykier wrote:
> Don Armstrong:
> > Thanks for the report!
> >
> > On Sun, 24 Aug 2025, Niels Thykier wrote:n
> > > I feel debbugs could just auto-done these after a delay (like 30 days)
> > > once the last affected version disappears and there is at least one
> > > fixed version.
> >
> > The way to fix this is to not close bugs using fixed, but to close them
> > using -done when they are first completed.
> >
> > Using -done notifies the submitter and has a bunch of other nice
> > properties that just setting fixed doesn't.
> >
>
> I agree that this is the official best practice for how to close a bug, and
> I understand why it is the best practice. But it is also not a very useful
> answer to this problem, which is me questioning a failure mode where the
> official best practice was not followed. The bug being in a pseudo-open
> state like this does not notify the submitter any sooner nor trigger any of
> the nice properties of a proper -done. The bug just rots there forever...
>
> I discovered these three by pure chance, and I only noticed them because
> they were RC in a package that was not scheduled for auto-removal (the RC
> bugs was listed on tracker.d.o).
>
> I have run into this numerous time in the past, and I will run into this
> into the future if the status quo does not change. That is why I filed this
> bug. In my view, the status quo leads to zombie bugs that slowly rots
> forever.
>
> > There's an argument to be made that we should instead warn loudly if a
> > bug has been fixed without having been -done so the person marking it
> > fixed knows to send a message to -done as well.
> >
>
> That is certainly also a solution. However, whatever fix you go with, I
> would recommend it is something that tracker.d.o can display (emails get
> lost, I skip the bug pages for a package preferring to jump directly to
> known bugs, etc.).
> Added bonus, if it also reports the "when `found version` == `fixed
> version` then the bug is not fixed"-issue that has caught people by surprise
> as well (assuming that is still a thing).
>
> Jumping to a solution / idea spewing mode:
> - Export a list of bugs per package that has one or more potential
> problems for tracker.d.o and other services.
UDD can provide a first list of candidates with e.g
select id, source from bugs
where not (affects_oldstable or affects_stable or affects_testing or affects_unstable or affects_experimental)
and status != 'done'
and source in (select source from sources) -- source exists (not pseudo-package)
order by id;
(4961 bugs)
Some of them look like b0rked versions information (#1111558, #1111626)
Lucas
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