Re: Reporting bugs in Stable
On Sun 19 Apr 2020 at 09:43:46 (-0400), Carl Fink wrote:
> So this has bugged me every time I run Debian Stable: you find a bug. You
> try to report it, and are told not to bother because there's a newer
> version. There is no way to install the newer version without manually
> fiddling with pointlessly arcane configuration files that are sort of documented
> if you squint.
>
> (Yes, the pun on "bug" is deliberate.)
>
> Why is reportbug even in Stable? Why not just replace it with a script that
> says "Sorry, bugs in Stable are never fixed. Try Testing." Seriously, that's
> literally the Debian policy, that only security fixes are done in Stable.
>
> Yes, technically if the version number in Stable and Experimental are the
> same, the bug might get fixed, but the fix would never actually be in Stable
> until the current Testing is released.
Aren't you assuming that a bug fix is the sole use for the Bug
Tracking System. I find it's a help when I suspect that I might
be seeing the effect of a bug. It can also be useful for finding
workarounds, and for comparing competing packages. You can also get
advanced warning of serious bugs by apt-listbugs before you install
a package.
> So, actual question: how usable is the current Testing? Because Stable is
> ... not so much, and decreasing. (It's fine as a server OS, it's just as a
> client box that it effectively degrades over time as software upgrades don't
> happen.)
I'm not sure I understand: isn't it your perspective that changes,
as you discover unfixed bugs. The software itself stays the same.
However, as someone obviously keen to report bugs, your using Testing
could be valuable for the project.
Cheers,
David.
Reply to: