RFH: handling bugs from removed packages
This is a request for help with handling bugs from removed packages.
In the past, I closed these bugs with appropriate messages saying why
a package was removed. But after version tracking was introduced in
the BTS, simply closing the bugs wasn't appropriate anymore, I decided
to write a script to help with the new task... and then never got
around to it. This has been on my TODO list since but I simply won't
get to it. So I'm looking for someone who wants to take over dealing
with bugs from removed packages.
First of all, you'd have to write a script that either parses
http://ftp-master.debian.org/removals.txt or emails a special alias
receives whenever a package is removed. Then based on that you can
generate a template that you can manually edit to send out mails.
Bugs should no longer be closed with a simply -done, but it should
include a fake Version number that is higher than the last version in
the archive. I have some more information on this from Don Armstrong
which I can forward.
Second, you'll have to process the backlog of removed packages that
never got its bugs processed. My folder has about 850 removal
messages in it... so, yes, this will be quite big task. I don't think
you should _fully_ automate this work since the messages from
removals.txt are often not appropriate for bug submitters... you
should do some basic research and write a coherent removal message.
Then, you'll have to run the script every once in a while and make
sure proper messages are included when you close a bug.
Any takers?
--
Martin Michlmayr
http://www.cyrius.com/
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