On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 10:08:31AM +0100, David MENTRE wrote:
> I once adapted Debian scripts to watch status of OCaml packages on Ubuntu:
> http://bentobako.org/tmp/ubuntu-only/debian-ocaml-status.html
Yep, I remember that.
> I need to modify them so as to provide a daily up-to-date status (no
> work for Debian developers here ;-).
Ah OK :-), because the list I was trying to collect was a per-package
TODO list which need to be followed during the uploads needed for
3.11., but thanks anyway for stemming this out.
> As far as I know:
> - There are no Ubuntu developers for OCaml;
Yep, I remember that, even though you are helping in this respect.
> - Therefore, *all* OCaml packages in Ubuntu are direct import of
> Debian packages, *unmodified*[1]. Those packages are imported during
> as synchronization window with Debian sid opened at the beginning of
> each development period of a new Ubuntu release. For the coming
> Jaunty release, it was during November and December 2008:
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JauntyReleaseSchedule
Nope that is not true. In the past I remember having found divergences
Ubuntu side made by MOTUs, and sometime even not appropriate changes
that introduced breakages. But that not the point. My point is that in
our work-flow we need to have Ubuntu push changes in our
direction. So, even though you are not a Ubuntu developer, _if_ you
are going to track Ubuntu/Debian changes you have all the ways of
doing that.
Let me suggest one: if you find reasonable changes Ubuntu side which
need to be integrated in Debian, submit a bugreport to the relevant
Debian package, pointing to the Ubuntu change.
> - As such, Debian developers have a *direct* control of which Ocaml
> packages are imported in Ubuntu or not, depending on what is
> available in Debian sid during the synchronization period. Outside
> those periods, only manual requests can allow sid packages to
> migrate to Ubuntu. As a direct consequence, if the Debian sid
> repository is in bad shape (e.g. OCaml major version transition to
> 3.11) during the Ubuntu synchronization window, the next Ubuntu will
> be released with very sub-optimal and maybe unusable OCaml.
This is an interesting aspect. Would you care about letting us know,
via this list, when those synchronization window happen in the future?
Of course we cannot grant good conditions during them, but if it costs
us nothing (or few efforts) it would be interesting to try be in shape
during those windows.
> "Political" note: I do understand that Debian developers don't care
> about Ubuntu. This is not there distribution and they have enough
> work to care about in Debian itself. But Ubuntu is widely used,
> especially on the desktop. *I* think it would be positive for OCaml
> if Ubuntu OCaml packages would be in good shape.
"Political" answer: I disagree with your statement that Debian
developers don't care about Ubuntu. I do care, because I know it is a
way to bring Debian efforts to a wider public; it is the same with all
Debian derivatives, and especially with Ubuntu which is most
widespread derivative. Still, the game should be fair, I'm willing to
do the job Debian-side, but I need collaboration Ubuntu-side, and you
are helping with that.
> I'll try to make an inventory of Ubuntu patches on OCaml Debian
> packages.
Thanks! Please try, if possible, not to do that one shot, but to find
a work-flow which is sustainable in the future. I doubt it can be
automated, but you can build tools that help you in keeping us up to
date on a regular basis.
Cheers.
--
Stefano Zacchiroli -o- PhD in Computer Science \ PostDoc @ Univ. Paris 7
zack@{upsilon.cc,pps.jussieu.fr,debian.org} -<>- http://upsilon.cc/zack/
Dietro un grande uomo c'è ..| . |. Et ne m'en veux pas si je te tutoie
sempre uno zaino ...........| ..: |.... Je dis tu à tous ceux que j'aime
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