Re: Bits from the DPL
Hi,
On 03/10/25 at 08:40 +0200, Andreas Tille wrote:
> Planning future delegations
> ===========================
>
> My last delegation showed that copy-pasting old texts is not the
> best approach. Thanks to a helpful suggestion from Guillem Jover[d01], I
> have now moved delegations to Git[d02] and will begin developing them
> there together with the community.
>
> Since the current ftpmaster team plays such a central role, and we have
> already discussed possible changes at length during DebConf, I want to
> start this work in public.
>
> At last year's DebConf in Busan, Sean Whitton suggested splitting the
> ftpmaster team into two separate teams. I have drafted delegation texts
> accordingly (team names may change; suggestions are welcome, but I would
> prefer discussion to focus on content):
>
> Archive Operations Team (or Archive Team)
> https://salsa.debian.org/debian-dpl/dpl-helpers/-/blob/master/delegations/ftpmaster/archive_team?ref_type=heads
>
> DFSG, Licensing & New Packages Team (or DFSG Team)
> https://salsa.debian.org/debian-dpl/dpl-helpers/-/blob/master/delegations/ftpmaster/dfsg_team?ref_type=heads
Quoting task descriptions:
Archive Team:
> Task Description
> ----------------
>
> The Debian Archive Operations Team oversees and maintains the well-being
> of Debian's official package repositories. Team members are responsible
> for tasks including:
>
> * Operating the archive and maintaining its infrastructure (e.g. tools
> for processing uploads, moving packages across suites).
>
> * Supporting other DPL Delegates in the execution of their delegated
> tasks.
>
> * Managing packagages handled byhand currently.
>
> * Removing packages when requested or required, whether as part of
> routine maintenance or in exceptional circumstances.
>
> * Maintaining package state and archive structure via priority and
> section override files.
>
> * Maintaining the software used to run the archive, namely the Debian
> Archive Kit (dak).
>
> * Documenting the team's key processes, especially those related to
> releases, to support transparency and contributor involvement.
DFSG Team:
> Task Description
> ----------------
>
> The DFSG, Licensing & New Packages Team ensures that new packages entering the
> Debian archive comply with the Debian Free Software Guidelines[1] and relevant
> licensing requirements. Its responsibilities include:
>
> * Accepting or rejecting packages in the NEW queue, covering:
> - DFSG acceptability and licensing for both old and new packages
> - Package quality standards for new packages
>
> * Communicating transparently about the status of packages in NEW.
>
> * Ensuring packages respect the DFSG and applicable licensing and legal
> requirements, and removing those that conflict.
>
> * Applying rules and standards for package acceptance in line with the
> Debian community’s consensus, and avoiding the introduction of
> additional requirements without such feedback.
>
> * Documenting the team's policies for accepting packages.
I think that it would be useful to try to phrase delegations in a way
that states what teams are ultimately responsible for (that is, which
powers are delegated by the DPL) in addition to stating what their daily
activities are.
For example, it looks to me that the DFSG Team essentially does two
things:
* Decide on the interpretation of the DFSG that is applicable to the
Debian archive, that is, decide which packages are acceptable in the
Debian archive.
* Decide on the content of the Debian archive (review new packages,
remove packages that do not match our intepretation of the DFSG).
Regarding the Archive Team, I'm not sure if it formally requires a
delegation, as I understand that its activities are mainly about
supporting other teams (DFSG team, release team, packaging teams) by
managing the archive and the associated tooling.
Lucas
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