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- <!entity cvs-rev "$Revision: 1.94 $">
+ <!entity cvs-rev "$Revision: 1.106 $">
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<!--
id="&url-gpl;" name="the GNU website">. You can also obtain it by
writing to the &fsf-addr;.
- <toc detail="sect2">
+ <toc detail="sect1">
<chapt id="scope">Scope of This Document
<p>
So, you've read all the documentation, you've gone through the <url
id="&url-newmaint-guide;" name="Debian New Maintainers' Guide">,
understand what everything in the <package>hello</package> example
-package is for, and you're about to Debianize your favourite piece of
+package is for, and you're about to Debianize your favorite piece of
software. How do you actually become a Debian developer so that your
work can be incorporated into the Project?
<p>
to &email-debian-devel-req;. In case of problems, contact the list
administrator at &email-listmaster;. More information on available
mailing lists can be found in <ref id="mailing-lists">.
+&email-debian-devel-announce; is another list which is mandatory
+for anyone who wish to follow Debian's development.
<p>
You should subscribe and lurk (that is, read without posting) for a
bit before doing any coding, and you should post about your intentions
providing further information on a bug or even a patch, then do so!
<p>
Registration requires that you are familiar with Debian's philosophy
-and technical documentation. Furthermore, you need a GPG key which
-has been signed by an existing Debian maintainer. If your GPG key
+and technical documentation. Furthermore, you need a GnuPG key which
+has been signed by an existing Debian maintainer. If your GnuPG key
is not signed yet, you should try to meet a Debian maintainer in
person to get your key signed. There's a <url id="&url-gpg-coord;"
-name="GPG Key Signing Coordination page"> which should help you find
+name="GnuPG Key Signing Coordination page"> which should help you find
a maintainer close to you (If you cannot find a Debian maintainer
close to you, there's an alternative way to pass the ID check. You
-can send in a photo ID signed with your GPG key. Having your GPG
+can send in a photo ID signed with your GnuPG key. Having your GnuPG
key signed is the preferred way, however. See the
<url id="&url-newmaint-id;" name="identification page"> for more
information about these two options.)
Debian uses the <prgn>GNU Privacy Guard</prgn> (package
<package>gnupg</package> version 1 or better) as its baseline standard.
You can use some other implementation of OpenPGP as well. Note that
-OpenPGP is a open standard based on <url id="&url-rfc2440;" name="RFC
+OpenPGP is an open standard based on <url id="&url-rfc2440;" name="RFC
2440">.
<p>
The recommended public key algorithm for use in Debian development
Some countries restrict the use of cryptographic software by their
citizens. This need not impede one's activities as a Debian package
maintainer however, as it may be perfectly legal to use cryptographic
-products for authentication, rather than encryption purposes (as is
-the case in France). &debian-formal; does not require the use of
-cryptography <em>qua</em> cryptography in any manner. If you live in a
-country where use of cryptography even for authentication is forbidden
+products for authentication, rather than encryption purposes.
+&debian-formal; does not require the use of cryptography <em>qua</em>
+cryptography in any manner. If you live in a country where use of
+cryptography even for authentication is forbidden
then please contact us so we can make special arrangements.
<p>
To apply as a new maintainer, you need an existing Debian maintainer
have worked over the past months has to express his belief that you
can contribute to Debian successfully.
<p>
-When you have found an advocate, have your GPG key signed and have
+When you have found an advocate, have your GnuPG key signed and have
already contributed to Debian for a while, you're ready to apply.
You can simply register on our <url id="&url-newmaint-apply;"
name="application page">. After you have signed up, your advocate
Maintainer's Corner"> at the Debian web site. Make sure that you
are familiar with the necessary steps of the New Maintainer process
before actually applying. If you are well prepared, you can save
-a lot of timer later on.
+a lot of time later on.
<sect id="mentors">Debian mentors and sponsors
but are waiting for your new maintainer application to go through, you
might be able find a sponsor to upload your package for you. Sponsors
are people who are official Debian maintainers, and who are willing to
-criticize and upload your packages for you. Sponsorees can request a
-sponsors at <url id="&url-sponsors;">.
+criticize and upload your packages for you. Those who are seeking a
+sponsor can request one at <url id="&url-sponsors;">.
<p>
If you wish to be a mentor and/or sponsor, more information is
available in <ref id="newmaint">.
<p>
Be very careful with your private keys. Do not place them on any
public servers or multiuser machines, such as
-<tt>master.debian.org</tt>. Back your keys up; keep a copy offline.
+<tt>&master-host;</tt>. Back your keys up; keep a copy offline.
Read the documentation that comes with your software; read the <url
id="&url-pgp-faq;" name="PGP FAQ">.
<p>
If you add signatures to your public key, or add user identities, you
-can update the debian keyring by sending your key to the key server at
+can update the debian key ring by sending your key to the key server at
<tt>&keyserver-host;</tt>. If you need to add a completely new key,
or remove an old key, send mail to &email-debian-keyring;. The same
key extraction routines discussed in <ref id="registering"> apply.
<p>
You can find a more in-depth discussion of Debian key maintenance in
-the documentation
for the <package>debian-keyring</package> package.
+the documentation
of the <package>debian-keyring</package> package.
<sect id="voting">Voting
The other developers need to know that you're on vacation so that they'll
do whatever is needed when such a problem occurs. Usually this means that
other developers are allowed to NMU (see <ref id="nmu">) your package if a
-big problem (release critical bugs, security update, ...) occurs while
+big problem (release critical bugs, security update, etc.) occurs while
you're on vacation.
<p>
In order to inform the other developers, there's two things that you should do.
forward these patches upstream.
<p>
If you need to modify the upstream sources in order to build a policy
-conformant package, then you should propose a nice fix to the upstream
+compliant package, then you should propose a nice fix to the upstream
developers which can be included there, so that you won't have to
modify the sources of the next upstream version. Whatever changes you
need, always try not to fork from the upstream sources.
<chapt id="resources">Resources for Debian Developers
<p>
In this chapter you will find a very brief road map of the Debian
-mailing lists, the main Debian servers, and other Debian machines
-which may be available to you as a developer.
+mailing lists, the main Debian servers, other Debian machines
+which may be available to you as a developer, and all the other
+resources that are available to help you in your maintainer work.
<sect id="mailing-lists">Mailing lists
<p>
&email-debian-private; unless it is really necessary. Moreover, do
<em>not</em> forward email from that list to anyone. Archives of this
list are not available on the web for obvious reasons, but you can see
-them using your shell account <tt>master.debian.org</tt> and looking
+them using your shell account on <tt>&master-host;</tt> and looking
in the <file>~debian/archive/debian-private</file> directory.
<p>
&email-debian-email; is a special mailing list used as a grab-bag
<sect1 id="servers-master">The master server
<p>
-<tt>master.debian.org</tt> is the canonical location for the Bug
-Tracking System (BTS). If you plan on doing some statistical analysis
-or processing of Debian bugs, this would be the place to do it.
-Please describe your plans on &email-debian-devel; before implementing
+<tt>&master-host;</tt> is the canonical location for the Bug Tracking
+System (BTS). If you plan on doing some statistical analysis or
+processing of Debian bugs, this would be the place to do it. Please
+describe your plans on &email-debian-devel; before implementing
anything, however, to reduce unnecessary duplication of effort or
wasted processing time.
<p>
-All Debian developers have accounts on <tt>master.debian.org</tt>.
+All Debian developers have accounts on <tt>&master-host;</tt>.
Please take care to protect your password to this machine. Try to
avoid login or upload methods which send passwords over the Internet
in the clear.
<p>
-If you find a problem with <tt>master.debian.org</tt> such as disk
+If you find a problem with <tt>&master-host;</tt> such as disk
full, suspicious activity, or whatever, send an email to
&email-debian-admin;.
<sect1 id="servers-ftp-master">The ftp-master server
<p>
-The ftp-master server, <tt>ftp-master.debian.org</tt> (or
+The ftp-master server, <tt>&ftp-master-host;</tt> (or
<tt>auric.debian.org</tt>), holds the canonical copy of the Debian
archive (excluding the non-US packages). Generally, package uploads
go to this server; see <ref id="upload">.
<sect1 id="servers-www">The WWW server
<p>
-The main web server, <tt>www.debian.org</tt>, is also known as
+The main web server, <tt>&www-host;</tt>, is also known as
<tt>klecker.debian.org</tt>. All developers are given accounts on this
machine.
<p>
<p>
To request a CVS area, send a request via email to
&email-debian-admin;. Include the name of the requested CVS area,
-Debian account should own the CVS root area, and why you need it.
+the Debian account that should own the CVS root area, and why you need it.
<sect1 id="devel-db">The Developers Database
<p>
-The Deverlopers Database, at <url id="&url-debian-db;">, is an LDAP
+The Developers Database, at <url id="&url-debian-db;">, is an LDAP
directory for managing Debian developer attributes. You can use this
resource to search the list of Debian developers. For information on
keeping your entry the developer database up-to-date, see <ref
-id="user-maint">.
+id="user-maint">. Part of this information is also available through
+the finger service on Debian servers, try
+<prgn>finger yourlogin@debian.org</prgn> to see what it reports.
<sect id="servers-mirrors">Mirrors of Debian servers
<sect id="archive">The Debian archive
<p>
The &debian-formal; distribution consists of a lot of packages
-(<tt>.deb</tt>'s, currently around &number-of-pkgs;) and a few
+(<file>.deb</file>'s, currently around &number-of-pkgs;) and a few
additional files (such documentation and installation disk images).
<p>
Here is an example directory tree of a complete Debian archive:
&sample-dist-dirtree;
<p>
As you can see, the top-level directory contains two directories,
-<tt>dists/</tt> and <tt>pool/</tt>. The latter is a “pool” in which the
+<file>dists/</file> and <file>pool/</file>. The latter is a “pool” in which the
packages actually are, and which is handled by the archive maintenance
database and the accompanying programs. The former contains the
distributions, <em>stable</em>, <em>testing</em> and <em>unstable</em>.
Each of those distribution directories is divided in equivalent
subdirectories purpose of which is equal, so we will only explain how it
-looks in stable. The <tt>Packages</tt> and <tt>Sources</tt> files in the
-distribution subdirectories can reference files in the <tt>pool/</tt>
+looks in stable. The <file>Packages</file> and <file>Sources</file> files in the
+distribution subdirectories can reference files in the <file>pool/</file>
directory.
<p>
-<tt>dists/stable</tt> contains three directories, namely <em>main</em>,
-<em>contrib</em>, and <em>non-free</em>.
+<file>dists/stable</file> contains three directories, namely <file>main</file>,
+<file>contrib</file>, and <file>non-free</file>.
<p>
-In each of the areas, there is a directory with the source packages
-(<tt>source</tt>), a directory for each supported architecture
-(<tt>binary-i386</tt>, <tt>binary-m68k</tt>, etc.), and a directory
-for architecture independent packages (<tt>binary-all</tt>).
+In each of the areas, there is a directory for the source packages
+(<file>source</file>) and a directory for each supported architecture
+(<file>binary-i386</file>, <file>binary-m68k</file>, etc.).
<p>
-The <em>main</em> area contains additional directories which holds
+The <file>main</file> area contains additional directories which holds
the disk images and some essential pieces of documentation required
for installing the Debian distribution on a specific architecture
-(<tt>disks-i386</tt>, <tt>disks-m68k</tt>, etc.).
- <p>
-The <em>binary-*</em> and <em>source</em> directories are divided
-further into <em>subsections</em>.
+(<file>disks-i386</file>, <file>disks-m68k</file>, etc.).
<sect1>Sections
but may fail other requirements. For instance, they may depend on
non-free packages.
<p>
-Packages which do not apply to the DFSG are placed in the
+Packages which do not conform to the DFSG are placed in the
<em>non-free</em> section. These packages are not considered as part
of the Debian distribution, though we support their use, and we
provide infrastructure (such as our bug-tracking system and mailing
also have ports underway to non-Linux kernel. Aside from
<em>i386</em> (our name for Intel x86), there is <em>m68k</em>,
<em>alpha</em>, <em>powerpc</em>, <em>sparc</em>, <em>hurd-i386</em>,
-and <em>arm</em>, as of this writing.
+<em>arm</em>, <em>ia64</em>, <em>hppa</em>, <em>s390</em>, <em>mips</em>,
+<em>mipsel</em> and <em>sh</em> as of this writing.
<p>
&debian-formal; 1.3 is only available as <em>i386</em>. Debian 2.0
shipped for <em>i386</em> and <em>m68k</em> architectures. Debian 2.1
ships for the <em>i386</em>, <em>m68k</em>, <em>alpha</em>, and
-<em>sparc</em> architectures. Debian 2.2 adds support for the
-<em>powerpc</em> and <em>arm</em> architectures.
+<em>sparc</em> architectures. Debian 2.2 added support for the
+<em>powerpc</em> and <em>arm</em> architectures. Debian 3.0 adds
+support of five new architectures : <em>ia64</em>, <em>hppa</em>,
+<em>s390</em>, <em>mips</em> and <em>mipsel</em>.
<p>
Information for developers or uses about the specific ports are
available at the <url id="&url-debian-ports;" name="Debian Ports web
pages">.
- <sect1>Subsections
+<!-- <sect1>Subsections
<p>
The sections <em>main</em>, <em>contrib</em>, and <em>non-free</em>
are split into <em>subsections</em> to simplify the installation
-process and the maintainance of the archive. Subsections are not
-formally defined, except perhaps the `base' subsection.
-Subsections simply exist to simplify the organization and browsing of
-available packages. Please check the current Debian distribution to
-see which sections are available.
+process and the maintenance of the archive. Subsections simply exist to
+simplify the organization and browsing of available packages. The
+<url id="&url-debian-policy;" name="Debian Policy Manual"> gives
+the authoritative list of subsections.
+
<p>
Note however that with the introduction of package pools (see the top-level
<em>pool/</em> directory), the subsections in the form of subdirectories
will eventually cease to exist. They will be kept in the packages' `Section'
-header fields, though.
+header fields, though. -->
<sect1>Packages
<p>
There are two types of Debian packages, namely <em>source</em> and
<em>binary</em> packages.
<p>
-Source packages consist of either two or three files: a <tt>.dsc</tt>
-file, and either a <tt>.tar.gz</tt> file or both an
-<tt>.orig.tar.gz</tt> and a <tt>.diff.gz</tt> file.
+Source packages consist of either two or three files: a <file>.dsc</file>
+file, and either a <file>.tar.gz</file> file or both an
+<file>.orig.tar.gz</file> and a <file>.diff.gz</file> file.
<p>
If a package is developed specially for Debian and is not distributed
-outside of Debian, there is just one <tt>.tar.gz</tt> file which
+outside of Debian, there is just one <file>.tar.gz</file> file which
contains the sources of the program. If a package is distributed
-elsewhere too, the <tt>.orig.tar.gz</tt> file stores the so-called
+elsewhere too, the <file>.orig.tar.gz</file> file stores the so-called
<em>upstream source code</em>, that is the source code that's
distributed from the <em>upstream maintainer</em> (often the author of
-the software). In this case, the <tt>.diff.gz</tt> contains the
+the software). In this case, the <file>.diff.gz</file> contains the
changes made by the Debian maintainer.
<p>
-The <tt>.dsc</tt> lists all the files in the source package together
+The <file>.dsc</file> file lists all the files in the source package together
with checksums (<prgn>md5sums</prgn>) and some additional info about
the package (maintainer, version, etc.).
<p>
The directory system described in the previous chapter is itself
contained within <em>distribution directories</em>. Each
-distribution is actually contained in the <tt>pool</tt> directory in the
+distribution is actually contained in the <file>pool</file> directory in the
top-level of the Debian archive itself.
<p>
To summarize, the Debian archive has a root directory within an FTP
server. For instance, at the mirror site,
<ftpsite>ftp.us.debian.org</ftpsite>, the Debian archive itself is
contained in <ftppath>/debian</ftppath>, which is a common location
-(another is <tt>/pub/debian</tt>).
+(another is <file>/pub/debian</file>).
<p>
A distribution is comprised of Debian source and binary packages, and the
-respective <tt>Sources</tt> and <tt>Packages</tt> index files, containing
+respective <file>Sources</file> and <file>Packages</file> index files, containing
the header information from all those packages. The former are kept in the
-<tt>pool/</tt> directory, while the latter are kept in the <tt>dists/</tt>
-directory of the archive (because of backwards compatibility).
+<file>pool/</file> directory, while the latter are kept in the <file>dists/</file>
+directory of the archive (for backwards compatibility).
<sect2 id="sec-dists">Stable, testing, and unstable
<p>
There are always distributions called <em>stable</em> (residing in
-<tt>dists/stable</tt>), one called <em>testing</em> (residing in
-<tt>dists/testing</tt>), and one called <em>unstable</em> (residing in
-<tt>dists/unstable</tt>). This reflects the development process of the
+<file>dists/stable</file>), one called <em>testing</em> (residing in
+<file>dists/testing</file>), and one called <em>unstable</em> (residing in
+<file>dists/unstable</file>). This reflects the development process of the
Debian project.
<p>
Active development is done in the <em>unstable</em> distribution
(that's why this distribution is sometimes called the <em>development
distribution</em>). Every Debian developer can update his or her
packages in this distribution at any time. Thus, the contents of this
-distribution change from day-to-day. Since no special effort is done
+distribution changes from day-to-day. Since no special effort is done
to make sure everything in this distribution is working properly, it is
sometimes literally unstable.
<p>
-Packages get copied from <em>unstable</em> to <em>testing</em> if they
-satisfy certain criteria. To get into <em>testing</em> distribution, a
-package needs to be in the archive for two weeks and not have any
-release critical bugs. After that period, it will propagate into
-<em>testing</em> as soon as anything it depends on is also added. This
-process is automatic. You can see some notes on this system as well
-as <tt>update_excuses</tt> (describing which packages are valid
-candidates, which are not, and why not) at <url
-id="&url-testing-maint;">.
+The testing distribution is generated automatically by taking
+packages from unstable if they satisfy certain criteria. Those
+criteria should ensure a good quality for packages within testing.
+<ref id="testing-scripts"> are launched each day after the
+new packages have been installed.
<p>
After a period of development, once the release manager deems fit, the
<em>testing</em> distribution is frozen, meaning that the policies
updates are tested very carefully and have to be introduced into the
archive individually to reduce the risk of introducing new bugs. You
can find proposed additions to <em>stable</em> in the
-<tt>proposed-updates</tt> directory. Those packages in
-<tt>proposed-updates</tt> that pass muster are periodically moved as a
+<file>proposed-updates</file> directory. Those packages in
+<file>proposed-updates</file> that pass muster are periodically moved as a
batch into the stable distribution and the revision level of the
-stable distribution is incremented (e.g., ‘3.0’ becomes ‘3.0r1’,
-‘2.2r4’ becomes ‘2.0r5’, and so forth).
+stable distribution is incremented (e.g., ‘3.0’ becomes
+‘3.0r1’, ‘2.2r4’ becomes ‘2.2r5’, and
+so forth).
<p>
Note that development under <em>unstable</em> continues during the
freeze period, since the <em>unstable</em> distribution remains in
<sect2>Experimental
<p>
-The <em>experimental</em> distribution is a specialty distribution.
+The <em>experimental</em> distribution is a special distribution.
It is not a full distribution in the same sense as `stable' and
`unstable' are. Instead, it is meant to be a temporary staging area
for highly experimental software where there's a good chance that the
Some experimental software can still go into <em>unstable</em>, with a few
warnings in the description, but that isn't recommended because packages
from <em>unstable</em> are expected to propagate to <em>testing</em> and
-thus to <em>stable</em>.
+thus to <em>stable</em>. You should not be afraid to use
+<em>experimental</em> since it does not cause any pain to the ftpmasters,
+the experimental packages are automatically removed once you upload
+the package in <em>unstable</em> with a higher version number.
<p>
New software which isn't likely to damage your system can go directly into
<em>unstable</em>.
symbolic links for <em>stable</em>, <em>testing</em>, and
<em>unstable</em> point to the appropriate release directories.
+ <sect id="incoming-system">
+ <heading>The Incoming system
+ <p>
+The Incoming system is responsible of collecting updated packages and
+installing them in the Debian archive. It consists of a set of
+directories and scripts that are installed both on <tt>&ftp-master-host;</tt>
+and <tt>&non-us-host;</tt>.
+ <p>
+Packages are uploaded by all the maintainers into an <file>unchecked</file>
+directory. This directory is scanned every 15 minutes by the katie script
+that verifies the integrity of the package and the cryptographic
+signature. If the package is considered ready to be installed, it
+is moved into an <file>accepted</file> directory. If it is the first upload of
+the package then it is moved in a <file>new</file> directory waiting an
+approval of the ftpmasters. If the package contains files to be installed
+"by-hand" is is moved in the <file>byhand</file> directory waiting a manual
+installation by the ftpmasters. Otherwise, if any error has been detected,
+the package is refused and is moved in the <file>reject</file> directory.
+ <p>
+Once the package is accepted the system sends a confirmation
+mail to the maintainer, closes all the bugs marked as fixed by the upload
+and the autobuilders may start recompiling it. The package is now publically
+accessible at <url id="&url-incoming;"> (there is no
+such URL for packages in the non-US archive) until it is really installed
+in the Debian archive. This happens only once a day, the package
+is then removed from incoming and installed in the pool along with all
+the other packages. Once all the other updates (generating new
+<file>Packages</file> and <file>Sources</file> index files for example) have been
+made, a special script is called to ask all the primary mirrors to update
+themselves.
+ <p>
+All debian developers have write access to the <file>unchecked</file>
+directory in order to upload their packages, they also have that access
+to the <file>reject</file> directory in order to remove their bad uploads
+or to move some files back in the <file>unchecked</file> directory. But
+all the other directories are only writable by the ftpmasters, that is
+why you can not remove an upload once it has been accepted.
+
+ <sect1 id="delayed-incoming">Delayed incoming
+ <p>
+The <file>unchecked</file> directory has a special <file>DELAYED</file>
+subdirectory. It is itself subdivised in nine directories
+called <file>1-day</file> to <file>9-day</file>. Packages which are uploaded in
+one of those directories will be moved in the real unchecked
+directory after the corresponding number of days.
+This is done by a script that is run each day and which moves the
+packages between the directories. Those which are in "1-day" are
+installed in <file>unchecked</file> while the others are moved in the
+adjacent directory (for example, a package in <file>5-day</file> will
+be moved in <file>4-day</file>). This feature is particularly useful
+for people who are doing non-maintainer uploads. Instead of
+waiting before uploading a NMU, it is uploaded as soon as it is
+ready but in one of those <file>DELAYED/<var>x</var>-day</file> directories.
+That leaves the corresponding number of days to the maintainer
+in order to react and upload himself another fix if he is not
+completely satisfied with the NMU. Alternatively he can remove
+the NMU by himself.
+ <p>
+The use of that delayed feature can be simplified with a bit
+of integration with your upload tool. For instance, if you use
+<prgn>dupload</prgn> (see <ref id="dupload">), you can add this
+snippet to your configuration file:
+<example>
+$delay = ($ENV{DELAY} || 7);
+$cfg{'delayed'} = {
+ fqdn => "&ftp-master-host;",
+ login => "yourdebianlogin",
+ incoming => "/org/ftp.debian.org/incoming/DELAYED/$delay-day/",
+ visibleuser => "yourdebianlogin",
+ visiblename => "debian.org",
+ fullname => "Your Full Name",
+ dinstall_runs => 1,
+ method => "scpb"
+};
+</example>
+Once you've made that change, <prgn>dupload</prgn> can be used to
+easily upload a package in one of the delayed directories:
+<example>DELAY=5 dupload --to delayed <changes-file></example>
+
+ <sect id="testing-scripts">
+ <heading>The testing scripts</heading>
+ <p>
+The testing scripts are run each day after the installation of the
+updated packages. They generate the <file>Packages</file> files for
+the <em>testing</em> distribution, but they do so in an intelligent manner
+trying to avoid any inconsistency and trying to use only
+non-buggy packages.
+ <p>The inclusion of a package from <em>unstable</em> is conditionned:
+<list>
+ <item>
+The package must have been available in <em>unstable</em> for several days;
+the precise number depends on the urgency field's value of the upload. It
+is 10 days for low urgency, 5 days for medium urgency and 2 days for high
+urgency. Those delays may be doubled during a freeze;
+ <item>
+It must have less release-critical bugs than the version available
+in <em>testing</em>;
+ <item>
+It must be available on all architectures on which it has been
+previously built. <ref id="madison"> may be of interest to
+check that information;
+ <item>
+It must not break any dependency of a package that is already available
+in <em>testing</em>;
+ <item>
+The packages on which it depends must either be available in <em>testing</em>
+or they must be accepted into <em>testing</em> at the same time (and they will
+if they respect themselves all the criteria);
+</list>
+ <p>
+The scripts are generating some output files to explain why some packages
+are kept out of testing. They are available at <url
+id="&url-testing-maint;">. Alternatively, it is possible to use
+the <prgn>grep-excuses</prgn> program part of the
+<package>devscripts</package> package. It can be easily put in a crontab
+to keep someone informed of the progression of his packages in testing.
+ <p>
+The <file>update_excuses</file> file does not always give the precise reason
+why the package is refused, one may have to find it by himself by looking
+what would break with the inclusion of the package. The <url
+id="&url-testing-faq;" name="testing FAQ"> gives some more information
+about the usual problems which may be causing such troubles.
+ <p>
+Sometimes, some packages never enter testing because the set of
+inter-relationship is too complicated and can not be sorted out
+by the scripts. In that case, the release manager must be
+contacted, and he will force the inclusion of the packages.
+
+ <sect id="pkg-info">Package's information
+ <p>
+
+ <sect1 id="pkg-info-web">On the web
+ <p>
+Each package has several dedicated web pages that contains many
+informations. <tt>http://&packages-host;/<var>package-name</var></tt>
+will display each version of the package
+available in the various distributions. The per-version detailed
+information includes the package description,
+the dependencies and links to download the package.
+ <p>
+The bug tracking system sorts the bugs by package, you can
+watch the bugs of each package at
+<tt>http://&bugs-host;/<var>package-name</var></tt>.
+
+ <sect1 id="madison">The <prgn>madison</prgn> utility
+ <p>
+<prgn>madison</prgn> is a command-line utility that is available
+on both <tt>&ftp-master-host;</tt> and <tt>&non-us-host;</tt>. It
+uses a single argument corresponding to a package name. In result
+it displays which version of the package is available for each
+architecture and distribution combination. An example will explain
+it better.
+ <p>
+<example>
+$ madison libdbd-mysql-perl
+libdbd-mysql-perl | 1.2202-4 | stable | source, alpha, arm, i386, m68k, powerpc, sparc
+libdbd-mysql-perl | 1.2216-2 | testing | source, arm, hppa, i386, ia64, m68k, mips, mipsel, powerpc, s390, sparc
+libdbd-mysql-perl | 1.2216-2.0.1 | testing | alpha
+libdbd-mysql-perl | 1.2219-1 | unstable | source, alpha, arm, hppa, i386, ia64, m68k, mips, mipsel, powerpc, s390, sparc
+</example>
+ <p>
+In this example, you can see that the version in unstable differs from
+the version in testing and that there has been a binary-only NMU of the
+package for the alpha architecture. Each time the package has been
+recompiled on most of the architectures.
+
+ <sect id="pkg-tracking-system">The Package Tracking System
+ <p>
+The Package Tracking System (PTS) is basically a tool to track by mail
+the activity of a source package. You just have to subscribe
+to a source package to start getting the mails related to it.
+You get the same mails than the maintainer. Each mail
+sent through the PTS is classified and associated to one of
+the keyword listed below. This will let you select the mails that
+you want to receive.
+ <p>
+By default you will get :
+<taglist>
+ <tag><tt>bts</tt>
+ <item>
+All the bug reports and following discussions.
+
+ <tag><tt>bts-control</tt>
+ <item>
+The control mails notifying a status change in one of the bugs.
+
+ <tag><tt>upload-source</tt>
+ <item>
+The confirmation mail from <prgn>katie</prgn> when an uploaded source
+package is accepted.
+
+ <tag><tt>katie-other</tt>
+ <item>
+Other warning and error mails from <prgn>katie</prgn> (like the
+override disparity for the section or priority field).
+
+ <tag><tt>default</tt>
+ <item>
+Any non-automatic mail sent to the PTS by people who wanted to
+contact the subscribers of the package.
+
+ <tag><tt>summary</tt>
+ <item>
+In the future, you may receive regular summary mails to keep you
+informed of the package's status (bug statistics, porting overview,
+progression in testing, ...).
+</taglist>
+ <p>
+You can also decide to receive some more information :
+<taglist>
+ <tag><tt>upload-binary</tt>
+ <item>
+The confirmation mail from <prgn>katie</prgn> when an uploaded binary
+package is accepted (to check that your package is recompiled for all
+architectures).
+
+ <tag><tt>cvs</tt>
+ <item>
+CVS commits if the maintainer has setup a system to forward commit
+notification to the PTS.
+</taglist>
+
+ <sect1 id="pts-commands">The PTS email interface
+ <p>
+You can control your subscription(s) to the PTS by sending
+various commands to <email>pts@qa.debian.org</email>.
+
+<taglist>
+
+<tag><tt>subscribe <srcpackage> [<email>]</tt>
+<item>
+ Subscribes <var>email</var> to communications related to the source package
+ <var>srcpackage</var>. Sender address is used if the second argument is
+ not present. If <var>srcpackage</var> is not a valid source package,
+ you'll get a warning. However if it's a valid binary package, the PTS
+ will subscribe you to the corresponding source package.
+
+<tag><tt>unsubscribe <srcpackage> [<email>]</tt>
+<item>
+ Removes a previous subscription to the source package <var>srcpackage</var>
+ using the specified email address or the sender address if the second
+ argument is left out.
+
+<tag><tt>which [<email>]</tt>
+<item>
+ Lists all subscriptions for the sender or the email address optionally
+ specified.
+
+<tag><tt>keyword [<email>]</tt>
+<item>
+ Tells you the keywords that you are accepting. Each mail sent through
+ the Package Tracking System is associated to a keyword and you receive
+ only the mails associated to keywords that you are accepting. Here is
+ the list of available keywords :
+ <list>
+ <item><tt>bts</tt> : mails coming from the Debian Bug Tracking System
+ <item><tt>bts-control</tt> : reply to mails sent to
+ <email>control@bugs.debian.org</email>
+ <item><tt>summary</tt> : automatic summary mails about the state of a package
+ <item><tt>cvs</tt> : notification of cvs commits
+ <item><tt>upload-source</tt> : announce of a new source upload that
+ has been accepted
+ <item><tt>upload-binary</tt> : announce of a new binary-only upload (porting)
+ <item><tt>katie-other</tt> : other mails from ftpmasters
+ (override disparity, etc.)
+ <item><tt>default</tt> : all the other mails (those which aren't "automatic")
+ </list>
+
+<tag><tt>keyword <srcpackage> [<email>]</tt>
+<item>
+ Same as previous item but for the given source package since
+ you may select a different set of keywords for each source package.
+
+<tag><tt>keyword [<email>] {+|-|=} <list of keywords></tt>
+<item>
+ Accept (+) or refuse (-) mails associated to the given keyword(s).
+ Define the list (=) of accepted keywords.
+
+<tag><tt>keyword <srcpackage> [<email>] {+|-|=} <list of keywords></tt>
+<item>
+ Same as previous item but overrides the keywords list for the
+ indicated source package.
+
+<tag><tt>quit | thanks | --</tt>
+<item>
+ Stops processing commands. All following lines are ignored by
+ the bot.
+</taglist>
+
+ <sect1 id="pts-mail-filtering">Filtering PTS mails
+ <p>
+Once you are subscribed to a package, you will get the mails sent to
+<tt><var>srcpackage</var>@packages.qa.debian.org</tt>. Those mails
+have special headers appended to let you filter them in a special
+mailbox with <prgn>procmail</prgn>. The added headers are
+<tt>X-Loop</tt>, <tt>X-PTS-Package</tt>, <tt>X-PTS-Keyword</tt> and
+<tt>X-Unsubscribe</tt>.
+ <p>
+Here is an example of added headers for a source upload notification
+on the <package>dpkg</package> package :
+<example>
+X-Loop: dpkg@&pts-host;
+X-PTS-Package: dpkg
+X-PTS-Keyword: upload-source
+X-Unsubscribe: echo 'unsubscribe dpkg' | mail pts@qa.debian.org
+</example>
+
+ <sect1 id="pts-cvs-commit">Forwarding CVS commits in the PTS
+ <p>
+If you use a publically accessible CVS repository for maintaining
+your Debian package you may want to forward the commit notification
+to the PTS so that the subscribers (possible co-maintainers) can
+closely follow the package's evolution.
+ <p>
+It's very easy to setup. Once your cvs repository generates commit
+notifications, you just have to make sure it sends a copy of those mails
+to <tt><var>srcpackage</var>_cvs@&pts-host;</tt>. Only people who
+accepts the <em>cvs</em> keyword will receive the notifications.
+
<chapt id="pkgs">Managing Packages
<p>
<p>
Assuming no one else is already working on your prospective package,
you must then submit a bug report (<ref id="submit-bug">) against the
-pseudo package <tt>wnpp</tt>
+pseudo-package <package>wnpp</package>
describing your plan to create a new package, including, but not
limiting yourself to, a description of the package, the license of the
prospective package and the current URL where it can be downloaded
<file>/usr/share/doc/<var>package</var>/changelog.gz</file> for native
packages.
<p>
-The <file>debian/changelog</file> file conform to a certain structure,
+The <file>debian/changelog</file> file conforms to a certain structure,
with a number of different fields. One field of note, the
<em>distribution</em>, is described in <ref id="upload-dist">. More
information about the structure of this file can be found in
For more information on <prgn>lintian</prgn>, see <ref id="lintian">.
<item>
Downgrade the package to the previous version (if one exists) — this
-tests the <tt>postrm</tt> and <tt>prerm</tt> scripts.
+tests the <file>postrm</file> and <file>prerm</file> scripts.
<item>
Remove the package, then reinstall it.
</list>
<sect1>Generating the changes file
<p>
When a package is uploaded to the Debian FTP archive, it must be
-accompanied by a <tt>.changes</tt> file, which gives directions to the
+accompanied by a <file>.changes</file> file, which gives directions to the
archive maintainers for its handling. This is usually generated by
<prgn>dpkg-genchanges</prgn> during the normal package build process.
<p>
<p>
The first time a version is uploaded which corresponds to a particular
upstream version, the original source tar file should be uploaded and
-included in the <tt>.changes</tt> file. Subsequently, this very same
-tar file should be used to build the new diffs and <tt>.dsc</tt>
+included in the <file>.changes</file> file. Subsequently, this very same
+tar file should be used to build the new diffs and <file>.dsc</file>
files, and will not need to be re-uploaded.
<p>
By default, <prgn>dpkg-genchanges</prgn> and
<prgn>dpkg-buildpackage</prgn> will include the original source tar
file if and only if the Debian revision part of the source version
-number is 0 or 1, indicating a new upstream version. This behaviour
+number is 0 or 1, indicating a new upstream version. This behavior
may be modified by using <tt>-sa</tt> to always include it or
<tt>-sd</tt> to always leave it out.
<p>
If no original source is included in the upload, the original
source tar-file used by <prgn>dpkg-source</prgn> when constructing the
-<tt>.dsc</tt> file and diff to be uploaded <em>must</em> be
+<file>.dsc</file> file and diff to be uploaded <em>must</em> be
byte-for-byte identical with the one already in the archive.
<sect3 id="upload-stable">Uploading to <em>stable</em>
<p>
Uploading to <em>stable</em> means that the package will be placed into the
-<tt>proposed-updates</tt> directory of the Debian archive for further
+<file>proposed-updates</file> directory of the Debian archive for further
testing before it is actually included in <em>stable</em>.
<p>
Extra care should be taken when uploading to <em>stable</em>. Basically, a
package should only be uploaded to stable if one of the following happens:
<list>
<item>a security problem (e.g. a Debian security advisory)
- <item>a truely critical functionality problem
+ <item>a truly critical functionality problem
<item>the package becomes uninstallable
<item>a released architecture lacks the package
</list>
It is discouraged to change anything else in the package that isn't
important, because even trivial fixes can cause bugs later on. Uploading
new upstream versions to fix security problems is deprecated; applying the
-specific patch from the new upstream version to the old one ("backporting"
+specific patch from the new upstream version to the old one ("back-porting"
the patch) is the right thing to do in most cases.
<p>
Packages uploaded to <em>stable</em> need to be compiled on systems running
<sect2 id="upload-ftp-master">Uploading to <tt>ftp-master</tt>
<p>
To upload a package, you need a personal account on
-<ftpsite>ftp-master.debian.org</ftpsite>, which you should have as an
+<ftpsite>&ftp-master-host;</ftpsite>, which you should have as an
official maintainer. If you use <prgn>scp</prgn> or <prgn>rsync</prgn>
-to transfer the files, place them into <tt>&us-upload-dir;</tt>;
+to transfer the files, place them into &us-upload-dir;;
if you use anonymous FTP to upload, place them into
-<ftppath>/pub/UploadQueue/</ftppath>. Please note that you should transfer
+&upload-queue;. Please note that you should transfer
the changes file last. Otherwise, your upload may be rejected because the
archive maintenance software will parse the changes file and see that not
-all files have been uploaded. If you don't want to bother with transfering
+all files have been uploaded. If you don't want to bother with transferring
the changes file last, you can simply copy your files to a temporary
directory on <tt>ftp-master</tt> and then move them to
-<tt>&us-upload-dir;</tt>.
+&us-upload-dir;.
<p>
-<em>Note:</em> Do not upload to <tt>ftp-master</tt> packages
-containing software that is patent-restricted by the United States
-government, nor any cryptographic packages which belong to
-<em>contrib</em> or <em>non-free</em>. If you can't upload it to
-<tt>ftp-master</tt>, then neither can you upload it to the overseas
-upload queues on <tt>chiark</tt> or <tt>erlangen</tt>. Uploads of
+<em>Note:</em> Do not upload to <tt>ftp-master</tt> cryptographic
+packages which belong to <em>contrib</em> or <em>non-free</em>. Uploads of
such software should go to <tt>non-us</tt> (see <ref
-id="upload-non-us">). If you are not sure whether U.S. patent
-controls or cryptographic controls apply to your package, post a
-message to &email-debian-devel; and ask.
- <p>
-You may also find the Debian packages <package>dupload</package> or
-<package>dput</package> useful
-when uploading packages. These handy program are distributed with
-defaults for uploading via <prgn>ftp</prgn> to <tt>ftp-master</tt>,
-<tt>chiark</tt>, and <tt>erlangen</tt>. They can also be configured to
-use <prgn>ssh</prgn> or <prgn>rsync</prgn>. See <manref name="dupload"
-section="1">, <manref name="dupload" section="5"> and <manref name="dput"
-section="1"> for more information.
- <p>
-After uploading your package, you can check how the archive maintenance
-software will process it by running <prgn>dinstall</prgn> on your changes
-file: <example>dinstall -n foo.changes</example>
+id="upload-non-us">). Furthermore packages containing code that is
+patent-restricted by the United States government can not be uploaded to
+<tt>ftp-master</tt>; depending on the case they may still be uploaded to
+<file>non-US/non-free</file> (it's in non-free because of distribution issues
+and not because of the license of the software). If you can't upload it to
+<tt>ftp-master</tt>, then neither can you upload it to the overseas upload
+queues on <tt>chiark</tt> or <tt>erlangen</tt>. If you are not sure
+whether U.S. patent controls or cryptographic controls apply to your
+package, post a message to &email-debian-devel; and ask.
+ <p>
+You may also find the Debian packages <ref id="dupload"> or
+<ref id="dput"> useful
+when uploading packages. These handy programs help automate the
+process of uploading packages into Debian.
+ <p>
+After uploading your package, you can check how the archive
+maintenance software will process it by running <prgn>dinstall</prgn>
+on your changes file: <example>dinstall -n foo.changes</example>.
+Note that <prgn>dput</prgn> can do this for you automatically.
<sect2 id="upload-non-us">Uploading to <tt>non-US</tt> (pandora)
<p>
As discussed above, export controlled software should not be uploaded
to <tt>ftp-master</tt>. Instead, upload the package to
<ftpsite>non-us.debian.org</ftpsite>, placing the files in
-<tt>&non-us-upload-dir;</tt> (both <ref id="dupload"> and <ref
-id="dput"> can be used also, with the right invokation). By default,
+&non-us-upload-dir; (again, both <ref id="dupload"> and <ref
+id="dput"> can do this for you if invocated properly). By default,
you can use the same account/password that works on
<tt>ftp-master</tt>. If you use anonymous FTP to upload, place the
-files into <ftppath>/pub/UploadQueue/</ftppath>.
+files into &upload-queue;.
<p>
You can check your upload the same way it's done on <tt>ftp-master</tt>,
with:
<sect2>Uploads via <tt>chiark</tt>
<p>
If you have a slow network connection to <tt>ftp-master</tt>, there are
-alternatives. One is to upload files to <tt>Incoming</tt> via a
+alternatives. One is to upload files to <file>Incoming</file> via a
upload queue in Europe on <tt>chiark</tt>. For details connect to
<url id="&url-chiark-readme;">.
<p>
via anonymous FTP to <url id="&url-upload-erlangen;">.
<p>
The upload must be a complete Debian upload, as you would put it into
-<tt>ftp-master</tt>'s <tt>Incoming</tt>, i.e., a <tt>.changes</tt> files
-along with the other files mentioned in the <tt>.changes</tt>. The
-queue daemon also checks that the <tt>.changes</tt> is correctly
-PGP-signed by a Debian developer, so that no bogus files can find
+<tt>ftp-master</tt>'s <file>Incoming</file>, i.e., a <file>.changes</file> files
+along with the other files mentioned in the <file>.changes</file>. The
+queue daemon also checks that the <file>.changes</file> is correctly
+signed with GnuPG or OpenPGP by a Debian developer, so that no bogus files can find
their way to <tt>ftp-master</tt> via this queue. Please also make sure that
-the <tt>Maintainer</tt> field in the <tt>.changes</tt> contains
+the <tt>Maintainer</tt> field in the <file>.changes</file> contains
<em>your</em> e-mail address. The address found there is used for all
replies, just as on <tt>ftp-master</tt>.
<p>
the ``debian-changes'' lists. This is now done automatically by the archive
maintenance software when it runs (usually once a day). You just need to use
a recent <package>dpkg-dev</package> (>= 1.4.1.2). The mail generated by
-the archive maintenance software will contain the PGP/GPG signed
-<tt>.changes</tt> files that you uploaded with your package.
+the archive maintenance software will contain the OpenPGP/GnuPG signed
+<file>.changes</file> files that you uploaded with your package.
Previously, <prgn>dupload</prgn> used to send those announcements, so
please make sure that you configured your <prgn>dupload</prgn> not to
send those announcements (check its documentation and look for
package is released with <tt>Distribution:</tt> set to `unstable',
or `experimental', the announcement will be
posted to &email-debian-devel-changes; instead.
- <p>
-The <prgn>dupload</prgn> program is clever enough to determine
-where the announcement should go, and will automatically mail the
-announcement to the right list. See <ref id="dupload">.
<sect1 id="upload-notification">
<heading>Notification that a new package has been installed</heading>
the change to the archive may take up to a month to occur. Please be
patient.
<p>
-In any case, you will receive email notification indicating that the
-package has added to the archive, which also indicates which bugs will
+In any case, you will receive an email notification indicating that the
+package has been added to the archive, which also indicates which bugs will
be closed by the upload. Please examine this notification carefully,
checking if any bugs you meant to close didn't get triggered.
<p>
called a non-maintainer upload, or NMU.
<p>
Debian porters, who compile packages for different architectures,
-occasionnaly do binary-only NMUs as part of their porting activity
+occasionally do binary-only NMUs as part of their porting activity
(see <ref id="porting">). Another reason why NMUs are done is when a
Debian developers needs to fix another developers' packages in order to
address serious security problems or crippling bugs, especially during
id="nmu-guidelines"> need to be followed.
<p>
Bug fixes to unstable by non-maintainers are also acceptable, but only
-as a last resort or with permission. Try the following steps first,
-and if they don't work, it is probably OK to do an NMU:
+as a last resort or with permission. The following protocol should
+be respected to do an NMU :
<p>
<list>
<item>
-Make sure that the package bug is in the Debian Bug Tracking System
-(BTS). If not, submit a bug.
- <item>
-Email the maintainer, and offer to help fix the package bug. Give it a
-few days.
- <item>
-Go ahead and fix the bug, submitting a patch to the right bug in the
-BTS. Build the package and test it as discussed in <ref
-id="upload-checking">. Use it locally.
+Make sure that the package's bug is in the Debian Bug Tracking System
+(BTS). If not, submit a bug.
<item>
-Wait a couple of weeks for a response.
- <item>
-Email the maintainer, asking if it is OK to do an NMU.
+Wait a few days the response from the maintainer. If you don't get
+any response, you may want to help him by sending the patch that fixes
+the bug. Don't forget to tag the bug with the "patch" keyword.
<item>
+Wait a few more days. If you still haven't got an answer from the
+maintainer, send him a mail announcing your intent to NMU the package.
+Prepare an NMU as described in <ref id="nmu-guidelines">, test it
+carefully on your machine (cf. <ref id="upload-checking">).
Double check that your patch doesn't have any unexpected side effects.
-Make sure your patch is as small and as non-disruptive as it can be.
+Make sure your patch is as small and as non-disruptive as it can be.
<item>
-Wait another week for a response.
+Upload your package to incoming in <file>DELAYED/7-day</file> (cf.
+<ref id="delayed-incoming">), send the final patch to the maintainer via
+the BTS, and explain him that he has 7 days to react if he wants to cancel
+the NMU.
<item>
-Go ahead and do the source NMU, as described in <ref
-id="nmu-guidelines">.
+Follow what happens, you're responsible for any bug that you introduced
+with your NMU. You should probably use <ref id="pkg-tracking-system"> (PTS)
+to stay informed of the state of the package after your NMU.
</list>
-
-
<sect1 id="nmu-guidelines">How to do a source NMU
<p>
The following applies to porters insofar as they are playing the dual
the <file>debian/changelog</file> file will be used for signing the
changes file.
-
+ <sect1 id="ack-nmu">Acknowledging an NMU
+ <p>
+If one of your packages has been NMUed, you have to incorporate the
+changes in your copy of the sources. This is easy, you just have
+to apply the patch that has been sent to you. Once this is done, you
+have to close the bugs that have been tagged fixed by the NMU. You
+can either close them manually by sending the required mails to the
+BTS or by adding the required <tt>closes: #nnnn</tt> in the changelog
+entry of your next upload.
+ <p>
+In any case, you should not be upset by the NMU. An NMU is not a
+personal attack against the maintainer. It is just the proof that
+someone cares enough about the package and was willing to help
+you in your work. You should be thankful to him and you may want to
+ask him if he would be interested to help you on a more frequent
+basis as co-maintainer or backup maintainer
+(see <ref id="collaborative-maint">).
<sect id="porting">Porting and Being Ported
<package>debootstrap</package> package to create an unstable chroot
environment. Within that chrooted environment, install the
<package>build-essential</package> package and any package
-dependencies mention in <tt>Build-Depends</tt> and/or
+dependencies mentioned in <tt>Build-Depends</tt> and/or
<tt>Build-Depends-Indep</tt>. Finally, try building your package
within that chrooted environment.
<p>
Make sure your source package is correct. Do <tt>dpkg-source -x
<var>package</var>.dsc</tt> to make sure your source package unpacks
properly. Then, in there, try building your package from scratch with
-<tt>dpkg-buildpackage</tt>.
+<prgn>dpkg-buildpackage</prgn>.
<item>
Make sure you don't ship your source package with the
<file>debian/files</file> or <file>debian/substvars</file> files.
The way to invoke <prgn>dpkg-buildpackage</prgn> is as
<tt>dpkg-buildpackage -B -m<var>porter-email</var></tt>. Of course,
set <var>porter-email</var> to your email address. This will do a
-binary-only build of only the architecture-dependant portions of the
+binary-only build of only the architecture-dependent portions of the
package, using the `binary-arch' target in <file>debian/rules</file>.
<sect2 id="binary-only-nmu">
Sometimes the initial porter upload is problematic because the environment
in which the package was built was not good enough (outdated or obsolete
library, bad compiler, ...). Then you may just need to recompile it in
-an updated environment. However, you do have to bump the version number in
+an updated environment. However, you have to bump the version number in
this case, so that the old bad package can be replaced in the Debian archive
(<prgn>katie</prgn> refuses to install new packages if they don't have a
version number greater than the currently available one). Despite the
enhanced to support cross-compiling.
+ <sect id="collaborative-maint">Collaborative maintenance
+ <p>
+&FIXME; Speak about Uploaders: field, about the intelligent use
+of the PTS. Insist that it's a "must have" for base and standard
+packages.
<sect id="archive-manip">
<heading>Moving, Removing, Renaming, Adopting, and Orphaning
Packages</heading>
<p>
-Some archive manipulation operation are not automated in the Debian
+Some archive manipulation operations are not automated in the Debian
upload process. These procedures should be manually followed by
maintainers. This chapter gives guidelines in what to do in these
cases.
If, on the other hand, you need to change the <em>subsection</em> of
one of your packages (e.g., ``devel'', ``admin''), the procedure is
slightly different. Correct the subsection as found in the control
-file of the package, and reupload that. Also, you'll need to get the
+file of the package, and re-upload that. Also, you'll need to get the
override file updated, as described in <ref id="override-file">.
package. When invoked as <tt>apt-cache showpkg
<var>package</var></tt>, the program will show details for
<var>package</var>, including reverse depends.
+ <p>
+Once the package has been removed, the package's bugs should be handled.
+They should either be reassigned to another package in the case where
+the actual code has evolved into another package (e.g. <tt>libfoo12</tt>
+was removed because <tt>libfoo13</tt> supersedes it) or closed if the
+software is simply no more part of Debian.
- <sect2>Removing packages from <tt>Incoming</tt>
+ <sect2>Removing packages from <file>Incoming</file>
<p>
-In the past, it was possible to remove packages from <tt>incoming</tt>.
-With the introduction of the New Incoming system this is no longer
+In the past, it was possible to remove packages from <file>incoming</file>.
+However, with the introduction of the new incoming system, this is no longer
possible. Instead, you have to upload a new revision of your package with
a higher version as the package you want to replace. Both versions will be
installed in the archive but only the higher version will actually be
name="Debian Policy Manual"> for details). Once you've uploaded
that package, and the package has moved into the archive, file a bug
against <tt>ftp.debian.org</tt> asking to remove the package with the
-obsolete name.
+obsolete name. Do not forget to properly reassign the package's bugs
+at the same time.
<sect1 id="orphaning">Orphaning a package
<p>
If you can no longer maintain a package, you need to inform the others
about that, and see that the package is marked as orphaned.
-you should set the package maintainer to <tt>Debian QA Group
+You should set the package maintainer to <tt>Debian QA Group
&orphan-address;</tt> and submit a bug report
against the pseudo package <package>wnpp</package>. The bug report should be
titled <tt>O: <var>package</var> -- <var>short description</var></tt>
won't indicate the bug number).
<p>
If the package is especially crucial to Debian, you should instead submit
-a bug against <tt>wnpp</tt> and title it <tt>RFA: <var>package</var> --
+a bug against <package>wnpp</package> and title it <tt>RFA: <var>package</var> --
<var>short description</var></tt> and set its severity to
-<em>important</em>. Definitely copy the message to debian-devel in this
-case, as described above.
+<em>important</em>. <tt>RFA</tt> stands for <em>Request For Adoption</em>.
+Definitely copy the message to debian-devel in this case, as described
+above.
<p>
Read instructions on the <url id="&url-wnpp;" name="WNPP web pages">
for more information.
However, without their assent, you may not take over the package.
Even if they ignore you, that is still not grounds to take over a
package. If you really feel that a maintainer has gone AWOL (absent
-without leave), post a query to &email-debian-private;.
+without leave), post a query to &email-debian-private;. You may also
+inform the QA group (cf. <ref id="mia-qa">).
<p>
If you take over an old package, you probably want to be listed as the
package's official maintainer in the bug system. This will happen
automatically once you upload a new version with an updated
<tt>Maintainer:</tt> field, although it can take a few hours after the
upload is done. If you do not expect to upload a new version for a while,
-send an email to &email-override; so that bug reports will go to you
-right away.
-
+you can use <ref id="pkg-tracking-system"> to get the bug reports. However,
+make sure that the old maintainer is not embarassed by the fact that
+he will continue to receive the bugs during that time.
<sect id="bug-handling">Handling package bugs
+ <p>
+Often as a package maintainer, you find bugs in other packages or else
+have bugs reported to your packages which need to be reassigned. The
+<url id="&url-bts-control;" name="BTS instructions"> can tell you how
+to do this. Some information on filing bugs can be found in <ref
+id="submit-bug">.
<sect1>Monitoring bugs
<p>
If you want to be a good maintainer, you should periodically check the
<url id="&url-bts;" name="Debian bug tracking system (BTS)"> for your
packages. The BTS contains all the open bugs against your packages.
+You can check them by browsing this page:
+<tt>http://&bugs-host;/<var>yourlogin</var>@debian.org</tt>.
<p>
Maintainers interact with the BTS via email addresses at
-<tt>bugs.debian.org</tt>. Documentation on available commands can be
+<tt>&bugs-host;</tt>. Documentation on available commands can be
found at <url id="&url-bts;">, or, if you have installed the
<package>doc-debian</package> package, you can look at the local files
&file-bts-docs;.
# ask for weekly reports of bugs in my packages
&cron-bug-report;
</example>
-Replace <var>address</var> with you official Debian
+Replace <var>address</var> with your official Debian
maintainer address.
- <sect id="submit-bug">Submitting bugs
- <p>
-Often as a package maintainer, you find bugs in other packages or else
-have bugs reported to your packages which need to be reassigned. The
-<url id="&url-bts-control;" name="BTS instructions"> can tell you how
-to do this.
- <p>
-We encourage you to file bugs when there are problems. Try to submit
-the bug from a normal user account at which you are likely to receive
-mail. Do not submit bugs as root.
- <p>
-Make sure the bug is not already filed against a package. Try to do a
-good job reporting a bug and redirecting it to the proper location.
-For extra credit, you can go through other packages, merging bugs
-which are reported more than once, or setting bug severities to
-`fixed' when they have already been fixed. Note that when you are
-neither the bug submitter nor the package maintainer, you should
-not actually close the bug (unless you secure permission from the
-maintainer).
-
<sect1 id="bug-answering">Responding to bugs
<p>
-Make sure that any discussions you have about bugs are sent both to
+Make sure that any discussion you have about bugs are sent both to
the original submitter of the bug, and the bug itself (e.g.,
+<email>123@bugs.debian.org</email>). If you're writing a new
+mail and you don't remember the submitter email address, you can
+use the <email>123-submitter@bugs.debian.org</email> email to
+contact the submitter <em>and</em> to record your mail within the
+bug log (that means you don't need to send a copy of the mail to
<email>123@bugs.debian.org</email>).
<p>
-You should <em>never</em> close bugs via the bug server `close'
+You should <em>never</em> close bugs via the bug server <tt>close</tt>
command sent to &email-bts-control;. If you do so, the original
-submitter will not receive any feedback on why the bug was closed.
+submitter will not receive any information about why the bug was
+closed.
<sect1 id="bug-housekeeping">Bug housekeeping
<p>
As a package maintainer, you will often find bugs in other packages or
have bugs reported against your packages which are actually bugs in
other packages. The <url id="&url-bts-control;" name="BTS
-instructions"> document the technical operation of the BTS, such as
+instructions"> document the technical operations of the BTS, such as
how to file, reassign, merge, and tag bugs. This section contains
some guidelines for managing your own bugs, based on the collective
Debian developer experience.
* Frobbed with options (closes: Bug#98339)
* Added safety to prevent operator dismemberment, closes: bug#98765,
bug#98713, #98714.
- * Added manpage. Closes: #98725.
+ * Added man page. Closes: #98725.
</example>
Technically speaking, the following Perl regular expression is what is
/closes:\s*(?:bug)?\#\s*\d+(?:,\s*(?:bug)?\#\s*\d+)*/ig
</example>
-The author prefers the <tt>(closes: Bug#<var>XXX</var>)</tt> syntax,
-since it stands out from the rest of the changelog entries.
+The author prefers the <tt>closes: #<var>XXX</var></tt> syntax, as
+one of the most concise and easiest to integrate with the text of the
+<file>changelog</file>.
<p>
If you want to close bugs the old fashioned, manual way, it is usually
-sufficient to mail the <tt>.changes</tt> file to
+sufficient to mail the <file>.changes</file> file to
<email>XXX-done@bugs.debian.org</email>, where <var>XXX</var> is your
bug number.
latest <package>lintian</package>.
+ <chapt id="best-pkging-practices">
+ <heading>Best Packaging Practices</heading>
+ <p>
+Debian's quality is largely due to its Policy that all packages
+follow. But it's also because we accumulated years of experience
+in packaging; very talented people created great tools to make
+good packages without much troubles.
+ <p>
+This chapter provides the best known solutions to common problems
+faced during packaging. It also lists various advice collected on
+several mailing lists. By following them, you will make Debian's quality
+even better.
+
+ <sect id="misc-advice">
+ <heading>Miscellaenous advice</heading>
+
+ <sect1 id="writing-desc">
+ <heading>Writing useful descriptions</heading>
+ <p>
+The description of the package (as defined by the corresponding field
+in the <file>control</file> file) is usually the first information
+available to the user before he installs it. As such, it should
+provide all the required information to let him decide whether
+to install the package.
+ <p>
+For example, apart from the usual description that you adapt from the
+upstream <file>README</file>, you should include the URL of the
+website if there's any. If the package is not yet considered stable
+by the author, you may also want to warn the user that the
+package is not ready for production use.
+ <p>
+Last but not least, since the first user impression is based on
+that description, you should be careful to avoid english
+mistakes. Ensure that you spell check it.
+<prgn>ispell</prgn> has a special option (<tt>-g</tt>) for that :
+<example>ispell -d american -g debian/control</example>
+
+
+
<chapt id="beyond-pkging">
<heading>Beyond Packaging</heading>
<p>
<sect id="submit-bug">
<heading>Bug Reporting</heading>
<p>
-We encourage you to file bugs as you find them in Debian packages.
+We encourage you to file bugs as you find them in Debian packages. In
+fact, Debian developers are often the first line testers. Finding and
+reporting bugs in other developer's packages improves the quality of
+Debian.
<p>
-Try to submit
-the bug from a normal user account at which you are likely to receive
-mail. Do not submit bugs as root.
+Try to submit the bug from a normal user account at which you are
+likely to receive mail. Do not submit bugs as root.
<p>
Make sure the bug is not already filed against a package. Try to do a
good job reporting a bug and redirecting it to the proper location.
neither the bug submitter nor the package maintainer, you should
not actually close the bug (unless you secure permission from the
maintainer).
+ <p>
+From time to time you may want to check what has been going on
+with the bug reports that you submitted. Take this opportunity to
+close those that you can't reproduce anymore. To find
+out all the bugs you submitted, you just have to visit
+<tt>http://&bugs-host;/from:<your-email-addr></tt>.
<sect1 id="submit-many-bugs">Reporting lots of bugs at once
<p>
Send all this information to &email-debian-qa;, in order to let the
QA people do whatever is needed.
-
+ <sect id="contacting-maintainers">Contacting other maintainers
+ <p>
+During your lifetime within Debian, you will have to contact other
+maintainers for various reasons. You may want to discuss a new
+way of cooperating between a set of related packages, or you may
+simply remind someone that a new upstream version is available
+and that you need it.
+ <p>
+Looking up the email address of the maintainer for the package can be
+distracting. Fortunately, there is a simple email alias,
+<tt><package>@&packages-host;</tt>, which provides a way to
+email the maintainer, whatever their individual email address (or
+addresses) may be. Replace <tt><package></tt> with the name of
+a source or a binary package.
+ <p>
+You may also be interested by contacting the persons who are
+subscribed to a given source package via <ref id="pkg-tracking-system">.
+You can do so by using the <tt><package-name>@&pts-host;</tt>
+email address.
<sect id="newmaint">
<heading>Interacting with prospective Debian developers</heading>
<p>
-Debian's success depends on it's ability to attract and retain new and
+Debian's success depends on its ability to attract and retain new and
talented volunteers. If you are an experienced developer, we
recommend that you get involved with the process of bringing in new
developers. This section describes how to help new prospective
changelog and the control file, the upload can still be traced to you.
<p>
If you are an application manager for a prospective developer, you can also
-be their sponsor. That way you can also verify the how the applicant is
+be their sponsor. That way you can also verify how the applicant is
handling the 'Tasks and Skills' part of their application.
+ <sect1>Managing sponsored packages
+ <p>
+By uploading a sponsored package to Debian, you are certifying that
+the package meets minimum Debian standards. That implies that you
+must build and test the package on your own system before uploading.
+ <p>
+You can not simply upload a binary <file>.deb</file> from the sponsoree. In
+theory, you should only ask only for the diff file, and the location of the
+original source tarball, and then you should download the source and apply
+the diff yourself. In practice, you may want to use the source package
+built by your sponsoree. In that case you have to check that he hasn't
+altered the upstream files in the <file>.orig.tar.gz</file> file that he's
+providing.
+ <p>
+Do not be afraid to write the sponsoree back and point out changes
+that need to be made. It often takes several rounds of back-and-forth
+email before the package is in acceptable shape. Being a sponsor
+means being a mentor.
+ <p>
+Once the package meets Debian standards, build the package with
+<example>dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc</example> and sign it
+with <example>debsign -m <your-email-addr> <changes-file></example>
+before uploading it to the incoming directory.
+ <p>
+The Maintainer field of the <file>control</file> file and the
+<file>changelog</file> should list the person who did the packaging, i.e. the
+sponsoree. The sponsoree will therefore get all the BTS mail about the
+package.
+ <p>
+If you prefer to leave a more evident trace of your sponsorship job, you
+can add a line stating it in the most recent changelog entry.
+ <p>
+You are encouraged to keep tabs on the package you sponsor using
+<ref id="pkg-tracking-system">.
<sect1>Advocating new developers
<p>
Most of the descriptions of these packages come from the actual
package descriptions themselves. Further information can be found in
the package documentation itself. You can also see more info with the
-command <tt>apt-cache show <var>package_name</var></tt>.
+command <tt>apt-cache show <package-name></tt>.
<sect id="dpkg-dev">
<p>
<package>debconf</package> provides a consistent interface to
configuring packages interactively. It is user interface
-independant, allowing end-users to configure packages with a
+independent, allowing end-users to configure packages with a
text-only interface, an HTML interface, or a dialog interface. New
interfaces can be added modularly.
<p>
<sect id="dupload">
<heading><package>dupload</package>
<p>
-<package>dupload</package> is a package and a script to automagically
+<package>dupload</package> is a package and a script to automatically
upload Debian packages to the Debian archive, to log the upload, and
to send mail about the upload of a package. You can configure it for
new upload locations or methods.
thing as <package>dupload</package>, but in a different way. It has
some features over <package>dupload</package>, such as the ability to
check the GnuPG signature and checksums before uploading, and the
-possibility of running <tt>dinstall</tt> in dry-run mode after the
+possibility of running <prgn>dinstall</prgn> in dry-run mode after the
upload.
<heading><package>debootstrap</package>
<p>
The <package>debootstrap</package> package and script allows you to
-"bootstrap" a Debian base system into any part of your filesystem.
+"bootstrap" a Debian base system into any part of your file-system.
By "base system", we mean the bare minimum of packages required to
operate and install the rest of the system.
<p>
<package>debget</package> is a package containing a convenient script
which can be helpful in downloading files from the Debian archive.
You can use it to download source packages, for instance (although
-<tt>apt-get source <var>package</var></tt> does pretty much the same
+<tt>apt-get source <package-name></tt> does pretty much the same
thing).
~ianmdlvl / developers-reference.git / blobdiff