On Thu, May 07, 2009 at 02:00:35AM +0100, Martin wrote:
[...]
My question is - when I find things that worked in Ubuntu sparc
but not on Debian, what is the proper procedure for resolving the
issue? Is there a checklist or flowchart anywhere public that should
be followed when issues are found?
I'm guessing the first step is probably to determine whether it's a
kernel issue or an issue external to the kernel so that a bug report can
be filed with the correct team (while also checking to see if the issue
has already been reported), but again that's just a guess.
A general procedure might be:
1. Identify which package(s) are causing the problem.
2. Attempt to identify what conditions / factors / circumstances trigger
the issue. All the normal rules about writing bug reports apply.
3. File a bug report against the relevant Debian package.
4. Assist the package maintainer with any follow up queries.
Sounds about right. If it's a generic kernel problem, it can be reported
directly to sparclinux@vger.kernel.org, which is upstream list dedicated
to the discussion of sparc kernel issues. Reporting it in Debian (against
linux-2.6 package) is fine too, it just may take longer to propagate to
upstream. In either case, if you feel like you are stuck and the bug is
not getting enough attention, dropping a message to this list is fine.
It is also very useful if you can do occasional tests of kernels in unstable
or the daily builds of Debian installer, available from
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer
If you have time and access to a version of the package that does work,
it might be helpful to track down which differences are causing the
problem, and if possible, submit a patch. Certainly, including a
reference / pointer to the nearest version of Ubuntu package that works
would be helpful.
If the bug turns out to be something that is not specific to Debian and
is a more general problem then the packages maintainer may forward it
("upstream") to the main developers for that package.