Re: Seeking guidance re assisting with existing Debian package
Jeremy Davis <jeremy@turnkeylinux.org> writes:
> Just wanting to clarify the process in my hope to assist with the
> Debian package of Adminer. TBH I have never formerly been involved
> with Debian packaging but I think that I have a reasonable idea of
> what's involved.
Thank you for your interest, and especially for seeking to learn how to
apply your interest effectively.
> At least the basics... Besides I've got you lovely people here to help
> me when I get stuck! :)
This is true :-)
> I have just emailed the current maintainer (directly) seeking input
> from him around what I could do to help. I'm assuming that I should
> probably just wait and see how that goes before I take any further
> steps, although I have some specific questions:
>
> -I have literally just sent the email to him; but how long is "long
> enough" to wait on a response? Days? Weeks? Months?
That depends on what you're waiting to do.
Things you can do immediately:
* Triage existing bug reports for the package. Learn how to drive
Debian's BTS in detail.
* Which ones have outstanding questions from the bug reporter, not
answered? Tag the report with “moreinfo” if it's not already.
If the submitter has not been heard from for some years since that
question, feel free to close the bug with a message inviting the
reporter to open a new report if the problem persists.
* Which ones don't yet have enough information to reproduce the
problem behaviour?
Tag the message with “moreinfo”, along with a message to the bug
report and the submitter, requesting specific information that can
help diagnose the problem.
* Which ones can you attempt to reproduce? In what versions?
If you can confirm the behaviour is fixed in some currently
supported version in Debian, add “fixed” metadata for that version.
If you can confirm the behaviour fixed in *every* currently
supported version in Debian, add “fixed” metadata for those
versions, and close the bug explaining why.
If you cannot reproduce the behaviour in the *same* version where
the behaviour was reported (the “found” metadata), tag the report
with “moreinfo” and ask for more specific diagnostic information.
* Which ones appear to be just misdirected, or assigned to the wrong
package?
Adjust the metadata accordingly, and explain what your justification
is in a message.
* Improve documentation or other non-program files.
* Find things that aren't documented well enough (e.g. manual pages)
and submit patches to the package via the BTS.
These will not go to waste; either the existing maintainer can use
them, or you can if you later take on a maintainer role.
* Find the existing user community for the package and discover what its
users need from the Debian package.
Things you should wait for the maintainer to respond:
* Wading into the VCS.
* Making assertions to users about the future direction of the software.
(Go ahead and make assertions about the facts of a bug report.)
> -is there some "debian" space where I should also post (other than
> here) to find out what is going on? If so where?
>
> -the packages isn't up for adoption nor is there any request for help
> but perhaps I've missed something somewhere? Is there a really easy
> way to double check the status of a package in that regard that I may
> have missed?
The Debian BTS is the formal way for the maintainer to signal this. Look
for a RFH (Request For Help) or O (Orphan) bug report against that
package in the BTS.
> -is there something/anything that I could/should do while I wait?
I hope that helps.
--
\ “Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so |
`\ why should they care about it?” —Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG, 2006 |
_o__) |
Ben Finney
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