On Sun, 3 May 2009 18:51:59 -0400 Duncan <1i5t5.dun...@cox.net> wrote:
> Peter Faraday Weller <w...@gentoo.org> posted > 1241385973.4028.67.ca...@localhost.localdomain, excerpted below, on Sun, > 03 May 2009 22:26:13 +0100: > > > On a more serious note, the problem seems to be the complete lack of > > management in the required places, Gentoo is fast becoming (or more > > likely, already is) an anarchic organisation, where it's becoming > > nigh-on impossible to keep track of things. > > > > I see a number of issues with Gentoo these days. The lack of a proper > > leadership body. Lack of people working together in unison. The tree > > needs to be sorted out: we have >16000 packages, and 200-250 developers, > > not all of which are ebuild developers) - We're still using CVS, we do > > *not* have the manpower to keep all the packages updated properly using > > a centralised VCS. If these issues were fixed, I don't know/care how > > they do get fixed, but if they were, I might consider coming back. > > FWIW, from my perspective, Gentoo has turned the corner, we've hit the > low point (which I'd put at when the foundation dissolved due to malaise) > and things are beginning to improve now. Certainly there's a lot of work > remaining to be done and nobody's perfect, but I really do see positive > changes this last year or so. > For what it's worth (probably not much) I think Foundation is functioning now. At least, we are legal again, have bylaws, and a real bank account. > The council is actually somewhat functional now again, no more multi-hour > meetings that get little if anything accomplished. Gentoo worked thru > the foundation and council crises. I don't do IRC so can't evaluate it, > but certainly, the lists have gotten rather more professional the last > while -- no more severe personal attacks, and when it starts heading that > way, often both sides get warnings to "stop it" and people do (tho this > of course doesn't mean there's not disagreements, only that they're kept > to something approaching a reasonable professional level). > > Yes, Gentoo is still using CVS, but there are moves toward something > else, with GIT seemingly the lead candidate. While I don't see it > getting to that point in the remaining bit of the current council term, I > hope that it's a major item on the agenda for the next council to deal > with. The overlay structure seems to be quite active and is continuing > toward better overall integration, with issues like overlay and eclass > priority and sharing being worked out. > > Now Gentoo does seem to be at that "magic" 250-ish person mid-size > organizational cap, has been there for some time, and hasn't seemed to > get past it. OTOH, few organizations do tend to get past that, Debian > being the commonly mentioned FLOSS community exception, so Gentoo isn't > alone in that regard. In fact, there's many organizations that would > LOVE to be dealing with that problem as long as Gentoo has been. Maybe > we'll ultimately get past it, maybe we won't and we'll just have to learn > to manage at the 250-ish size we are. > > Perhaps the biggest mark of improvement for me personally has been that > (as I recently hinted in a post to the docs list) I'm actually thinking > about becoming a dev again. For some months, I had lost the motivation > and reasons I might wish to do so, but now it's back. I'm certainly > grateful for the folks that stuck around thru the bottom, and yes, that > IS a marked improvement I'm glad to see. =:^) > > So anyway, we seem to disagree on what's happening with Gentoo, but I > really do see improvement, and think it's a shame to have people leaving > for the lack of it, just as things from my perspective seem to be turning > around. But, regardless of whether you choose to stay or go, and that's > of course a decision you must make (recognizing that people do sometimes > need a time away, ideally to return refreshed and revitalized, ready to > take on new challenges), you did say you may be back if you see that some > of these issues have been addressed. Based on that, if indeed the > changes I am beginning to see continue, plan on that return, 'cause those > changes are coming. =:^) > > -- > Duncan - List replies preferred. No HTML msgs. > "Every nonfree program has a lord, a master -- > and if you use the program, he is your master." Richard Stallman > > Regards, Probably should not have responded, Ferris -- Ferris McCormick (P44646, MI) <fmc...@gentoo.org> Developer, Gentoo Linux (Sparc, Userrel, Trustees)
signature.asc
Description: PGP signature
