X-Git-Url: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ianmdlvl/git?p=developers-reference.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=developer-duties.dbk;h=6b60b6554c68cd364f0652cb1b170fc129970fda;hp=cf85ffef13f23d073a0678c4e96fa4bc5d703c47;hb=b65d1b59fafea59fc4a00dbb07dfc367f25bafc5;hpb=98029d6770d85e90e0fe0b454c3ade75ec58910b diff --git a/developer-duties.dbk b/developer-duties.dbk index cf85ffe..6b60b65 100644 --- a/developer-duties.dbk +++ b/developer-duties.dbk @@ -12,31 +12,74 @@ high-quality packages that are well integrated in the system and that adhere to the Debian Policy. +
+Work towards the next <literal>stable</literal> release + +Providing high-quality packages in unstable is not enough, most users will +only benefit from your packages when they are released as part of the next +stable release. You are thus expected to collaborate with the release team +to ensure your packages get included. + + +More concretely, you should monitor whether your packages are migrating +to testing (see ). When the migration doesn't happen +after the test period, you should analyze why and work towards fixing this. +It might mean fixing your package (in the case of release-critical bugs or +failures to build on some architecture) but it can also mean updating (or +fixing, or removing from testing) other packages to help complete a +transition in which your package is entangled due to its dependencies. The +release team might provide you some input on the current blockers of a +given transition if you are not able to identify them. + +
+ +
+Maintain packages in <literal>stable</literal> + +Most of the package maintainer's work goes into providing updated +versions of packages in unstable, but his job also entails taking care +of the packages in the current stable release. + + +While changes in stable are discouraged, they are possible. Whenever a +security problem is reported, you should collaborate with the security +team to provide a fixed version (see ). When +bugs of severity important (or more) are reported against the stable +version of your packages, you should consider providing a targeted fix. +You can ask the stable release team whether they would accept such an +update and then prepare a stable upload (see ). + +
+
-Managing release-critical bugs +Manage release-critical bugs Generally you should deal with bug reports on your packages as described in . However, there's a special category of bugs that you need to take care of — the so-called release-critical bugs (RC -bugs). All bug reports that have severity critical, -grave or serious are considered to -have an impact on whether the package can be released in the next stable -release of Debian. These bugs can delay the Debian release and/or can justify -the removal of a package at freeze time. That's why these bugs need to be -corrected as quickly as possible. - - -Developers who are part of the Quality -Assurance group are following all such bugs, and trying to help -whenever possible. If, for any reason, you aren't able fix an RC bug in a -package of yours within 2 weeks, you should either ask for help by sending a -mail to the Quality Assurance (QA) group -debian-qa@&lists-host;, or explain your difficulties and -present a plan to fix them by sending a mail to the bug report. Otherwise, -people from the QA group may want to do a Non-Maintainer Upload (see ) after trying to contact you (they might not wait as long as -usual before they do their NMU if they have seen no recent activity from you in -the BTS). +bugs). All bug reports that have severity critical, +grave or serious make the package +unsuitable for inclusion in the next stable release. +They can thus delay the Debian release (when they affect a package in +testing) or block migrations to testing (when they only affect the package +in unstable). In the worst scenario, they will lead to the package's +removal. That's why these bugs need to be corrected as quickly as possible. + + +If, for any reason, you aren't able fix an RC bug in a +package of yours within 2 weeks (for example due to time constraints, or +because it's difficult to fix), you should mention it clearly in the +bug report and you should tag the bug help to invite other +volunteers to chime in. Be aware that RC bugs are frequently the targets +of Non-Maintainer Uploads (see ) because they +can block the testing migration of many packages. + + +Lack of attention to RC bugs is often interpreted by the QA team as a sign +that the maintainer has disappeared without properly orphaning his package. +The MIA team might also get involved, which could result in your packages +being orphaned (see ).
@@ -228,6 +271,44 @@ RT' somewhere in the subject line (case doesn't matter). + +It is important that the above process is followed, because finding inactive +developers and orphaning their packages takes significant time and effort. + + + +
+Returning after retirement + +A retired developer's account is marked as "emeritus" when the process in + is followed, and "disabled" otherwise. Retired +developers with an "emeritus" account can get their account re-activated as +follows: + + + + + +Contact &email-debian-account-manager;. + + + + +Go through a shortened NM process (to ensure that the returning developer +still knows important parts of P&P and T&S). + + + + +Prove that they still control the GPG key associated with the account, or +provide proof of identify on a new GPG key, with at least two signatures from +other developers. + + + + +Retired developers with a "disabled" account need to go through NM again. +