Re: Q to nominees: Rough plan on Debian/Ubuntu collaboration?
Hi,
Am Sun, Mar 16, 2025 at 03:31:26PM -0400 schrieb M. Zhou:
> I noticed that a half of the nominees mentioned strengthening the
> collaboration between Debian/Ubuntu.
Although I belong to "the other half," I'd still like to share my
perspective.
I personally have never had a reason to work on anything other than
Debian. This is not because I do not appreciate the work of other
distributions-whether Ubuntu, another Debian derivative, or something
entirely different. Rather, it is simply a matter of efficiency for me
to stick to what I know best.
I have never subscribed to a "Debian is better than XY" mindset. For me,
it has always been: "Debian is better **for me** than XY because it
solves **my** problems, and I am extremely efficient with it since I
know it in a depth I could never achieve with XY."
This has, in some ways, led to a certain "ignorance" in my relationship
with other Linux distributions in the past. However, as I wrote in my
platform last year[1] under the title 'Reaching Out to Learn', I have
since attempted to foster more outreach. I answered the call for papers
at both FOSDEM and FOSSASIA with the following proposal:
Cross distribution experience exchange
As Debian Project Leader, I have often reflected on how other Free
Software distributions address challenges we all face. I am interested
in discussing how we can learn from each other to improve our work and
better serve our users. Recognizing my limited understanding of other
distributions, I aim to bridge this gap through open knowledge exchange.
My hope is to foster a constructive dialogue that benefits the broader
Free Software ecosystem. Representatives of other distributions are
encouraged to participate in this BoF-whether as contributors or
official co-speakers. My intention is not to drive the discussion from a
Debian-centric perspective but to ensure that all distributions have an
equal voice in the conversation.
This was my way of "sticking to a promise" I made in my platform. Guess
what? The proposal was rejected by both conferences. Perhaps I
approached it the wrong way-maybe I should have reached out to other
distributions first and submitted a joint proposal. Or perhaps there
simply isn't much interest in such an exchange. (That said, I have
participated in similar discussions at DebConf, where we engaged with
derivatives, and I found those conversations valuable.)
As for our derivatives, I am deeply convinced that all our direct and
indirect users-whether they use Debian itself or one of its
derivatives-benefit the most when downstream changes flow back upstream
into Debian. I strongly support making this process as easy as possible.
> Would you mind expand a little
> bit on this, like the rough idea? In particular:
>
> * What problem needs to be addressed regarding Debian/Ubuntu collabration?
While I absolutely believe we should enhance collaboration with
Ubuntu-arguably our most successful derivative-I would not limit the
effort to just Ubuntu. As I tried to express above, I think the first
step is simply to start talking to each other, which often seems to be a
challenge in the IT world.
> * Rough idea on how the identified issue can be addressed?
Unfortunately, not at the moment, as I've already admitted that I lack
knowledge in this area. However, I am open to any sensible advice on how
to support good cooperation.
> Generally I find the DDPO page's Ubuntu column quite helpful.
> Sometimes I can see Ubuntu has some patches, but not forwarded
> to Debian. Some of these changes can indeed be merged into Debian,
> and I did this multiple times.
I can confirm that I have a personal policy of applying patches from any
derivative within a 24-hour timeframe and uploading them as soon as
possible. If these patches come through the BTS or as merge requests, I
am more than happy to assist.
This is my perspective as a developer. However, if there are ways I can
contribute to this process in my role as DPL, I would be glad to help.
> Long answers are not necessary. I just want to understand the brief
> motivation and goals.
Apologies for the lengthy responses. I believe my answers provide
insight into my approach to collaboration with other distributions,
which may still be of interest.
Kind regards
Andreas.
[1] https://www.debian.org/vote/2024/platforms/tille
--
https://fam-tille.de
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