On 15359 March 1977, Lucas Nussbaum wrote:
However, I wonder why you picked this ("maintained on salsa + upload
rights for all DD") as the first step towards increasing uniformity
(thus I assume that you see this as the most important thing to fix).
In practice, we already have a version control system with full access
to all DDs: the Debian archive (and snapshot.d.o for history). And it's
not that bad.
The Debian archive and snapshot are a *really* *bad* VCS. The archive is
really good in getting a consistent set of files/packages to the users
machines (also there are sure ways to improve there too), and snapshot
is really good in showing the history of that.
But both are *really* bad and ugly to work with for developing things.
Where you want to easily look over history and their logs. See what
changed, by who, when, ...
Yes, sure, can do all that in the archive (and snapshot). Can also just
cut off my leg, I think thats less painful.
git log. git show. git branch. All way better for actual work.
Same as git is *not* good at getting packages to the users.
If we were to move to something else, maybe it would be better to
switch to a single big repository (like the Debian Haskell team does
for their packages[1]).
That would be the debian group. Its a step forward, yes, but I think it
isn't really what a distribution the size of Debian can handle. The
access rights when you look just over "all DDs can" are getting tricky
already.
Let's imagine for a moment that you have three "full consensus +
peoplepower" magic cards.
Only 3? Booh.
So, what are the important things that you will fix or create within
Debian with those three magic cards? Why? How? Feel free to start with
a disclaimer such as:
Ok, so:
I don't think that this should ever be done in Debian without a proper
project-wide discussion first. But since you are asking, here is what I
would like to see changed in Debian, and how.
1) Magic Archive / Packaging rework.
------------------------------------
Now, thats all, from the developer side to the user facing one. The way
how we work, the way dak works (and it sure ends up bug free, of course,
this is magic after all), and how it gets to the user.
It will also have *THE* answer to everything package related, so that
anyone in any language environment (nodejs? ruby? python? perl? java?
haskell? whatever) who ever goes "And now, how do my users get the crap
I wrote?" goes "OH, sure, Debian, I just fill out this
$somethingseomething and any user anywhere can *easily* get at it,
perfectly integrated in their system with all dependencies magicall
resolved".
2) A reworked BTS
-----------------
I am sure the people behind our BTS are sick of hearing how bad it is,
so: I like it. But I still would have it magically enhanced. Our BTS
does work, but it is slow to react to mails (and update the web), it
feels archaic.
I would like one that still has the nice features ours offer with all
the mail handling, as thats great. But also a nice responsive web ui
that allows the same (or more), by easily clicking stuff together.
Also with a nice API so it can be easily used by tools elsewhere.
3) Diversity
------------
Sorry, its magic, so this one is not technical. You still have to follow
me, peoplepower and full consensus and stuff. :)
I want equal amount of anyone and anywhere present and active in Debian.
I also want them equally present in the various (core) teams.
--
bye, Joerg
