Re: Getting a package added to the debian package repository: WACS
Beaky,
I've been a bit harsh. However, since I'm currently doing mostly PHP and web
development I'm faced day by day with "just-good-enough" "solutions".
And it annoys me. These kind of solutions mostly solve your current problem
quickly and without much investment. However, once you've installed them and
want to add additional functionality you get hit by the poor design of the
software.
Then poor web developers get forced to spend hours hacking spaghetti code and
making the whole thing worse with every added feature.
Yes. I think, many times it's better not to have anything at all instead of a
bad solution that gives you the false impression of a solved problem.
However I think, that your software may serve as a good prototype. I'm just
not convinced, that users benefit from its inclusion in Debian:
- One version of the software must be maintained (security bugfixes) during
the whole lifetime of a Debian stable release, which may be something between
2,5-3,5 years. The upstream code will most likely change a lot during this
time, however the Debian maintainer still must fix years old code.
- Once Debian moves forward to a new stable version, you must provide the
Debian stable users with an easy migration path to the newest version. The
upstream code (database schemes) may have made several migrations during this
time, which you must somehow script in one version upgrade path.
- Users that want to try your software and just issue an apt-get install wacs
will get an outdated version of your software and may not realize, that you've
a much better, newer version on your webpage.
So it's not only arrogant snobism about software quality from my side but it
may also be in your very own interest, not to invest in maintaining a Debian
package at this time. Remember, that the first two points from the list above
require manpower, that is therefor not available for upstream development.
I've once been involved in eGroupWare, which gained most of it popularity from
it's very easy automatic web installer:
- download, untar in your web servers dir
- open http://yourserver/install.php
You'll gain much more user satisfaction from such an installer then from a
Debian package. Such an installer also works for Windows, Mac and other Linux
distros. Once this installer gained you a bigger user (and developer)
community and your project has matured enough, somebody from the developers
will step and package it for it's distro of choice.
Therefor it's not a requirement, but a very good indicator, if the upstream
developer and the Debian packager are distinct persion: It means, that the
project is popular enough, that somebody else then the creator had the urge to
package it.
Best regards,
Thomas Koch, http://www.koch.ro
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