Re: What about a user-contrib directory? [was: Re: uploads for bo (was Re: Non-free libc5 packages??)]
Hi,
There has been a lot of talk about user contributed packages.
What are the reasons that we may want to do so? It seems to me to be
another in a series of efforts that, are like a new local TV series
where the heroine (dharma) exclaims "For you it was love at first
sight, and now we are together you want me to change totally?". In
other owrds, now that Debian is getting popular, there are waes of
people who like it, and try to totally change the project. I do think
change is important, people, but do realize that gratituous change
may well cost us what made us succesful in the first place.
Speaking personally, one of the things I like about this group
is the commitment we have all _demonstrated_ for free software. This
spirit, this commitment, this act of volunteering, is a basic part of
Debian, no less important than the DFSG.
I realize that is not what some other people want. Debian,
unfortunately, can't be all things to all people. If people do not
care to become part of Debian, I do not much care if they can still
contribute. Sorry. I do feel responsible to the users of my packages,
but that is mostly pride in my craft.
I have already heard on this list that people thought that the
Debian cntrib directory was like the red hat contrib directory, and
packages in which usually do not install, and it would be prolematic
installing them as root. Whatever the merits of that report, it seems
inevitable that the quality of these uploads would be suspect.
One of the things I like about debian is the quality of the
software, add the user contrib area, and the reputation will be
tarnished with every trojan horse or buggy package uploaded
there. Espescially if the uploader really do not care to follow
debian-devel as being to tedious. *Baaad* idea.
One problem no one has mentioned is that of warez people filliing up
the directory with their own sources; so a user contributed directory
requires supervision, and hence, work by a volunteer.
Let me get this straight. Some people, who do not care enough
to join the project, but want unpaid volunteers to work to enable
them to feel good by uploading packages?
I am totally for "unofficial" package repositories, and as
long as some "unofficial" person or persons step up and provide the
resources for them.
Becoming a Debian package manager is not hard, a trife tedious
maybe, but not hard. In *my* book, the Debian project is not
closed. But there are criteria to becoming a devolper (or else the
phrase Debian project would have no meaning, if one couldn't
distinguish what is and is not a part of it).
Another reason offered is that Debian may become more popular
if this were so. Possibly. Popularity comes way down on my scale of
important things, far lower than quality of the distribution. (I
prefer to leave popularity contests to Microsoft).
manoj
typing this in a canyon of boxes, with the roof torn aprt in the
living room, the bedroom unpainted, and the sheet rock person
missing, but (thank the lord) back with his umblical plugged on line
--
Colson's Law: If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds
will follow.
Manoj Srivastava <url:mailto:srivasta@acm.org>
Mobile, Alabama USA <url:http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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