From: aph Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1999 19:43:07 +0000 (+0000) Subject: import from webml (www.debian.org) X-Git-Url: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ianmdlvl/git?a=commitdiff_plain;h=d33ecf2333d1d1d9a3ce1478edad4a740a4a70eb;p=developers-reference.git import from webml (www.debian.org) git-svn-id: svn://anonscm.debian.org/ddp/manuals/trunk/developers-reference@798 313b444b-1b9f-4f58-a734-7bb04f332e8d --- diff --git a/constitution.en.html b/constitution.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..adcd193 --- /dev/null +++ b/constitution.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,759 @@ + + + +Debian GNU/Linux -- Debian Constitution + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Debian Constitution

Constitution for the Debian Project (v1.0)

1. Introduction

+ The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have + made common cause to create a free operating system. +

+ This document describes the organisational structure for formal + decisionmaking in the Project. It does not describe the goals of + the Project or how it achieves them, or contain any policies + except those directly related to the decisionmaking process. +

2. Decisionmaking bodies and individuals

+ Each decision in the Project is made by one or more of the following: +

The Developers, by way of General Resolution or an election; +
The Project Leader; +
The Technical Committee and/or its Chairman; +
The individual Developer working on a particular task; +
Delegates appointed by the Project Leader for specific + tasks. +
The Project Secretary; +

+ Most of the remainder of this document will outline the powers of + these bodies, their composition and appointment, and the procedure + for their decisionmaking. The powers of a person or body may be + subject to review and/or limitation by others; in this case the + reviewing body or person's entry will state this. In the + list above, a person or body is usually listed before any people + or bodies whose decisions they can overrule or who they + (help) appoint - but not everyone listed earlier can overrule + everyone listed later. +

2.1. General rules

+ Nothing in this constitution imposes an obligation on anyone + to do work for the Project. A person who does not want to do + a task which has been delegated or assigned to them does not + need to do it. However, they must not actively work against + these rules and decisions properly made under them. +
+ A person may hold several posts, except that the Project Leader, + Project Secretary and the Chairman of the Technical Committee must + be distinct, and that the Leader cannot appoint themselves as + their own Delegate. +
+ A person may leave the Project or resign from a particular + post they hold, at any time, by stating so publicly. +

3. Individual Developers

3.1. Powers

+ An individual Developer may +

make any technical or nontechnical decision with regard to + their own work; +
propose or sponsor draft General Resolutions; +
propose themselves as a Project Leader candidate in elections; +
vote on General Resolutions and in Leadership elections. +

3.2. Composition and appointment

+ Developers are volunteers who agree to further the aims of the + Project insofar as they participate in it, and who maintain + package(s) for the Project or do other work which the Project + Leader's Delegate(s) consider worthwhile. +
+ The Project Leader's Delegate(s) may choose not to admit new + Developers, or expel existing Developers. If the Developers + feel that the Delegates are abusing their authority they can of + course override the decision by way of General Resolution - see + s.4.1(3), s.4.2. +

3.3. Procedure

+ Developers may make these decisions as they see fit. +

4. The Developers by way of General Resolution or election

4.1. Powers

+ Together, the Developers may: +

Appoint or recall the Project Leader. +
+
Amend this constitution, provided they agree with a 3:1 majority. +
+
Override any decision by the Project Leader or a Delegate. +
+
Override any decision by the Technical Committee, + provided they agree with a 2:1 majority. +
+
Issue nontechnical policy documents and statements. +
+ These include documents describing the goals of the project, its + relationship with other free software entities, and nontechnical + policies such as the free software licence terms that Debian + software must meet. +
+ They may also include position statements about issues of the day. +
+
Together with the Project Leader and SPI, make decisions + about property held in trust for purposes related to Debian. + (See s.9.1.) +

4.2. Procedure

+ The Developers follow the Standard Resolution Procedure, below. A + resolution or amendment is introduced if proposed by any Developer + and sponsored by at least K other Developers, or if proposed by the + Project Leader or the Technical Committee. +
Delaying a decision by the Project Leader or their Delegate: +
1. + If the Project Leader or their Delegate, or the Technical + Committee, has made a decision, then Developers can override + them by passing a resolution to do so; see s4.1(3). +
2. + If such a resolution is sponsored by at least 2K Developers, or + if it is proposed by the Technical Committee, the resolution + puts the decision immediately on hold (provided that resolution + itself says so). +
3. + If the original decision was to change a discussion period or a + voting period, or the resolution is to override the Technical + Committee, then only K Developers need to sponsor the resolution + to be able to put the decision immediately on hold. +
4. + If the decision is put on hold, an immediate vote is held to + determine whether the decision will stand until the full vote on + the decision is made or whether the implementation of the + original decision will be be delayed until then. There is no + quorum for this immediate procedural vote. +
5. + If the Project Leader (or the Delegate) withdraws the original + decision, the vote becomes moot, and is no longer conducted. +
+
+ Votes are taken by the Project Secretary. Votes and tallies + results are not be revealed during the voting period; after the + vote the Project Secretary lists all the votes cast. The voting + period is 2 weeks, but may be varied by up to 1 week by the + Project Leader, and may be ended by the Project Secretary when + the outcome of a vote is no longer in doubt. +
+ The minimum discussion period is 2 weeks, but may be varied by up to 1 + week by the Project Leader. The Project Leader has a casting + vote. There is a quorum of 3Q. +
+ Proposals, sponsors, amendments, calls for votes and other formal + actions are made by announcement on a publicly-readable electronic + mailing list designated by the Project Leader's Delegate(s); any + Developer may post there. +
+ Votes are cast by email in a manner suitable to the Secretary. + The Secretary determines for each poll whether voters can change + their votes. +
+ Q is half of the square root of the number of current + Developers. K is Q or 5, whichever is the smaller. Q and K + need not be integers and are not rounded. +

5. Project Leader

5.1. Powers

+ The Project Leader may: +

Appoint Delegates or delegate decisions to the Technical + Committee. +
+ The Leader may define an area of ongoing responsibility or a + specific decision and hand it over to another Developer or + to the Technical Committee. +
+ Once a particular decision has been delegated and made the + Project Leader may not withdraw that delegation; however, + they may withdraw an ongoing delegation of particular area + of responsibility. +
+
Lend authority to other Developers. +
+ The Project Leader may make statements of support for points of view + or for other members of the project, when asked or otherwise; these + statements have force if and only if the Leader would be empowered to + make the decision in question. +
+
Make any decision which requires urgent action. +
+ This does not apply to decisions which have only become + gradually urgent through lack of relevant action, unless + there is a fixed deadline. +
+
Make any decision for whom noone else has responsibility. +
+
Propose draft General Resolutions and amendments. +
+
Together with the Technical Committee, appoint new members + to the Committee. (See s.6.2.) +
+
Use a casting vote when Developers vote. +
+ The Project Leader also has a normal vote in such ballots. +
+
Vary the discussion period for Developers' votes (as above). +
+
Lead discussions amongst Developers. +
+ The Project Leader should attempt to participate in discussions + amongst the Developers in a helpful way which seeks to bring the + discussion to bear on the key issues at hand. The Project Leader + should not use the Leadership position to promote their own personal + views. +
+
Together with SPI, make decisions affecting property + held in trust for purposes related to Debian. (See s.9.1.) +

5.2. Appointment

+ The Project Leader is elected by the Developers. +
+ The election begins nine weeks before the leadership post becomes + vacant, or (if it is too late already) immediately. +
+ For the following three weeks any Developer may nominate themselves as + a candidate Project Leader. +
+ For three weeks after that no more candidates may be nominated; + candidates should use this time for campaigning (to make their + identities and positions known). If there are no candidates + at the end of the nomination period then the nomination period + is extended for three further weeks, repeatedly if necessary. +
+ The next three weeks are the polling period during which + Developers may cast their votes. Votes in leadership + elections are kept secret, even after the election is + finished. +
+ The options on the ballot will be those candidates who have + nominated themselves and have not yet withdrawn, plus None Of + The Above. If None Of The Above wins the election then the + election procedure is repeated, many times if necessary. +
The decision will be made using Concorde Vote Counting. + The quorum is the same as for a General Resolution + (s.4.2) and the default option is None Of The Above. +
+ The Project Leader serves for one year from their election. +

5.3. Procedure

+ The Project Leader should attempt to make decisions which are + consistent with the consensus of the opinions of the Developers. +

+ Where practical the Project Leader should informally solicit the views + of the Developers. +

+ The Project Leader should avoid overemphasizing their own point + of view when making decisions in their capacity as Leader. +

6. Technical committee

6.1. Powers

+ The Technical Committee may: +

Decide on any matter of technical policy. +
+ This includes the contents of the technical policy manuals, + developers' reference materials, example packages and the + behaviour of non-experimental package building tools. (In + each case the usual maintainer of the relevant software or + documentation makes decisions initially, however; see + 6.3(5).) +
+
Decide any technical matter where Developers' jurisdictions overlap. +
+ In cases where Developers need to implement compatible + technical policies or stances (for example, if they disagree + about the priorities of conflicting packages, or about + ownership of a command name, or about which package is + responsible for a bug that both maintainers agree is a bug, + or about who should be the maintainer for a package) the + technical committee may decide the matter. +
+
Make a decision when asked to do so. +
+ Any person or body may delegate a decision of their own to + the Technical Committee, or seek advice from it. +
+
Overrule a Developer (requires a 3:1 majority). +
+ The Technical Committee may ask a Developer to take a + particular technical course of action even if the Developer + does not wish to; this requires a 3:1 majority. For + example, the Committee may determine that a complaint made + by the submitter of a bug is justified and that the + submitter's proposed solution should be implemented. +
+
+ Offer advice. +
+ The Technical Committee may make formal announcements about + its views on any matter. Individual members may of + course make informal statements about their views and about + the likely views of the committee. +
+
Together with the Project Leader, appoint new members to + itself or remove existing members. (See s.6.2.) +
+
Appoint the Chairman of the Technical Committee. +
+ The Chairman is elected by the Committee from its members. + All members of the committee are automatically nominated; + the committee vote starting one week before the post will + become vacant (or immediately, if it is already too late). + The members may vote by public acclamation for any fellow + committee member, including themselves; there is no None Of + The Above option. The vote finishes when all the members + have voted or when the outcome is no longer in doubt. The + result is determined according to Concorde Vote Counting. +
+
The Chairman can stand in for the Leader, together with the Secretary +
+ As detailed in s.7.1(2), the Chairman of the Technical + Committee and the Project Secretary may together stand in + for the Leader if there is no Leader. +

6.2. Composition

+ The Technical Committee consists of up to 8 Developers, and should + usually have at least 4 members. +
+ When there are fewer than 8 members the Technical Committee may + recommend new member(s) to the Project Leader, who may choose + (individually) to appoint them or not. +
+ When there are 5 members or fewer the Technical Committee may appoint + new member(s) until the number of members reaches 6. +
+ When there have been 5 members or fewer for at least one week + the Project Leader may appoint new member(s) until the number of + members reaches 6, at intervals of at least one week per + appointment. +
+ If the Technical Committee and the Project Leader agree they may + remove or replace an existing member of the Technical Committee. +

6.3. Procedure

The Technical Committee uses the Standard Resolution Procedure. +
+ A draft resolution or amendment may be proposed by any + member of the Technical Committee. There is no minimum + discussion period; the voting period lasts for up to one + week, or until the outcome is no longer in doubt. Members + may change their votes. There is a quorum of two. +
+
Details regarding voting +
+ The Chairman has a casting vote. When the Technical + Committee votes whether to override a Developer who also + happens to be a member of the Committee, that member may not + vote (unless they are the Chairman, in which case they may + use only their casting vote). +
+
Public discussion and decisionmaking. +
+ Discussion, draft resolutions and amendments, and votes by + members of the committee, are made public on the Technical + Committee public discussion list. There is no separate + secretary for the Committee. +
+
+ Confidentiality of appointments. +
+ The Technical Committee may hold confidential discussions + via private email or a private mailing list or other means + to discuss appointments to the Committee. However, votes on + appointments must be public. +
+
+ No detailed design work. +
+ The Technical Committee does not engage in design of new proposals + and policies. Such design work should be carried out by individuals + privately or together and discussed in ordinary technical policy and + design forums. +
+ The Technical Committee restricts itself to choosing from + or adopting compromises between solutions and decisions which have + been proposed and reasonably thoroughly discussed elsewhere. +
+ Individual members of the technical committee may of course + participate on their own behalf in any aspect of design and + policy work. +
+
Technical Committee makes decisions only as last resort. +
+ The Technical Committee does not make a technical decision + until efforts to resolve it via consensus have been tried + and failed, unless it has been asked to make a decision by + the person or body who would normally be responsible for it. +

7. The Project Secretary

7.1. Powers

+ The Secretary: +

+
+ Takes votes amongst the Developers, and determines the + number and identity of Developers, whenever this is required + by the constitution. +
+
+
+ Can stand in for the Leader, together with the Chairman of + the Technical Committee. +
+ If there is no Project Leader then the Chairman of the + Technical Committee and the Project Secretary may by + joint agreement make decisions if they consider it + imperative to do so. +
+
+
+ Adjudicates any disputes about interpretation of the + constitution. +
+
+
+ May delegate part or all of their authority to someone else, + or withdraw such a delegation at any time. +

7.2. Appointment

+ The Project Secretary is appointed by the Project Leader and the + current Project Secretary. +

+ If the Project Leader and the current Project Secretary cannot + agree on a new appointment they must ask the board of SPI to + appoint a Secretary. +

+ If there is no Project Secretary or the current Secretary is + unavailable and has not delegated authority for a decision then + the decision may be made or delegated by the Chairman of the + Technical Committee, as Acting Secretary. +

+ The Project Secretary's term of office is 1 year, at which point + they or another Secretary must be (re)appointed. +

7.3. Procedure

+ The Project Secretary should make decisions which are fair and + reasonable, and preferably consistent with the consensus of the + Developers. +

+ When acting together to stand in for an absent Project Leader the + Chairman of the Technical Committee and the Project Secretary + should make decisions only when absolutely necessary and only when + consistent with the consensus of the Developers. +

8. The Project Leader's Delegates

8.1. Powers

+ The Project Leader's Delegates: +

have powers delegated to them by the Project Leader; +
may make certain decisions which the Leader may not make + directly, including approving or expelling Developers or + designating people as Developers who do not maintain packages. + + This is to avoid concentration of power, particularly over + membership as a Developer, in the hands of the Project + Leader. + +

8.2. Appointment

+ The Delegates are appointed by the Project Leader and may be + replaced by the Leader at the Leader's discretion. The Project + Leader may not make the position as a Delegate conditional on + particular decisions by the Delegate, nor may they override a + decision made by a Delegate once made. +

8.3. Procedure

+ Delegates may make decisions as they see fit, but should attempt + to implement good technical decisions and/or follow consensus + opinion. +

9. Software in the Public Interest

+ SPI and Debian are separate organisations who share some goals. + Debian is grateful for the legal support framework offered by SPI. + + Debian's Developers are currently members of SPI by virtue + of their status as Developers. + +

9.1. Authority

+ SPI has no authority regarding Debian's technical or + nontechnical decisions, except that no decision by Debian with + respect to any property held by SPI shall require SPI to act + outside its legal authority, and that Debian's constitution + may occasionally use SPI as a decision body of last resort. +
+ Debian claims no authority over SPI other than that over the + use of certain of SPI's property, as described below, though + Debian Developers may be granted authority within SPI by SPI's + rules. +
+ Debian Developers are not agents or employees of SPI, or of + each other or of persons in authority in the Debian Project. + A person acting as a Developer does so as an individual, on + their own behalf. +

9.2. Management of property for purposes related to Debian

+ Since Debian has no authority to hold money or property, any + donations for the Debian Project must made to SPI, which + manages such affairs. +

+ SPI have made the following undertakings: +

+ SPI will hold money, trademarks and other tangible and + intangible property and manage other affairs for purposes + related to Debian. +
+ Such property will be accounted for separately and held in + trust for those purposes, decided on by Debian and SPI + according to this section. +
+ SPI will not dispose of or use property held in trust for + Debian without approval from Debian, which may be granted by + the Project Leader or by General Resolution of the Developers. +
+ SPI will consider using or disposing of property held in trust + for Debian when asked to do so by the Project Leader. +
+ SPI will use or dispose of property held in trust for Debian + when asked to do so by a General Resolution of the Developers, + provided that this is compatible with SPI's legal authority. +
+ SPI will notify the Developers by electronic mail to a + Debian Project mailing list when it uses or disposes of + property held in trust for Debian. +

A. Standard Resolution Procedure

+ These rules apply to communal decisionmaking by committees and + plebiscites, where stated above. +

A.1. Proposal

+ The formal procedure begins when a draft resolution is proposed and + sponsored, as required. +

A.1. Discussion and Amendment

+ Following the proposal, the resolution may be discussed. + Amendments may be made formal by being proposed and sponsored + according to the requirements for a new resolution, or + directly by the proposer of the original resolution. +
+ A formal amendment may be accepted by the resolution's + proposer, in which case the formal resolution draft is + immediately changed to match. +
+ If a formal amendment is not accepted, or one of the sponsors + of the resolution does not agree with the acceptance by the + proposer of a formal amendment, the amendment remains as an + amendment and will be voted on. +
+ If an amendment accepted by the original proposer is not to + the liking of others, they may propose another amendment to + reverse the earlier change (again, they must meet the + requirements for proposer and sponsor(s).) +
+ The proposer or a resolution may suggest changes to the + wordings of amendments; these take effect if the proposer of + the amendment agrees and none of the sponsors object. In + this case the changed amendments will be voted on instead of + the originals. +
+ The proposer of a resolution may make changes to correct minor + errors (for example, typographical errors or inconsistencies) or + changes which do not alter the meaning, providing noone objects + within 24 hours. In this case the mininum discussion period is not + restarted. +

A.2. Calling for a vote

+ The proposer or a sponsor of a motion or an amendment may call for a vote, + providing that the minimum discussion period (if any) has + elapsed. +
+ The proposer or a sponsor of a motion may call for a vote on any + or all of the amendments individually or together; the + proposer or sponsor of an amendment may call for a vote only on that + amendment and related amendments. +
+ The person who calls for a vote states what they believe the + wordings of the resolution and any relevant amendments are, + and consequently what form the ballot should take. However, + the final decision on the form of ballot(s) is the Secretary's + - see 7.1(1), 7.1(3) and A.3(6). +
+ The minimum discussion period is counted from the time the + last formal amendment was accepted, or the last related formal + amendment was accepted if an amendment is being voted on, or + since the whole resolution was proposed if no amendments have + been proposed and accepted. +

A.3. Voting procedure

+ Each independent set of related amendments is voted on in a + separate ballot. Each such ballot has as options all the + sensible combinations of amendments and options, and an option + Further Discussion. If Further Discussion wins then the + entire resolution procedure is set back to the start of the + discussion period. No quorum is required for an amendment. +
+ When the final form of the resolution has been determined it + is voted on in a final ballot, in which the options are Yes, + No and Further Discussion. If Further Discussion wins then + the entire procedure is set back to the start of the + discussion period. +
+ The vote taker (if there is one) or the voters (if voting is + done by public pronouncement) may arrange for these ballots to + be held simultaneously, even (for example) using a single + voting message. If amendment ballot(s) and the final ballot + are combined in this way then it must be possible for a voter + to vote differently in the final ballot for each of the + possible forms of the final draft resolution. +
+ Votes may be cast during the voting period, as specified + elsewhere. If the voting period can end if the outcome is no + longer in doubt, the possibility that voters may change their + votes is not considered. +
+ The votes are counted according to the Concorde Vote + Counting. If a quorum is required then the default option + is Further Discussion. +
+ In cases of doubt the Project Secretary shall decide on + matters of procedure (for example, whether particular + amendments should be considered independent or not). +

A.4. Withdrawing resolutions or unaccepted amendments

+ The proposer of a resolution or unaccepted amendment may withdraw + it. In this case new proposers may come forward keep it alive, in + which case the first person to do so becomes the new proposer and + any others become sponsors if they aren't sponsors already. +

+ A sponsor of a resolution or amendment (unless it has been + accepted) may withdraw. +

+ If the withdrawal of the proposer and/or sponsors means that a + resolution has no proposer or not enough sponsors it will not be + voted on unless this is rectified before the resolution expires. +

A.5. Expiry

+ If a proposed resolution has not been discussed, amended, voted on + or otherwise dealt with for 4 weeks then it is considered to have + been withdrawn. +

A.6. Concorde Vote Counting

+ This is used to determine the winner amongst a list of + options. Each ballot paper gives a ranking of the voter's + preferred options. (The ranking need not be complete.) +
+ Option A is said to Dominate option B if strictly more ballots + prefer A to B than prefer B to A. +
+ All options which are Dominated by at least one other option + are discarded, and references to them in ballot papers will be + ignored. +
+ If there is any option which Dominates all others then that is + the winner. +
+ If there is now more than one option remaining Single + Transferrable Vote will be applied to choose amongst those + remaining: +
- + The number of first preferences for each option is + counted, and if any option has more than half it is the + winner. +
- + Otherwise the option with the lowest number of first + preferences is eliminated and its votes redistributed + according to the second preferences. +
- + This elimination procedure is repeated, moving down ballot + papers to 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. preferences as required, + until one option gets more than half of the `first' + preferences. +
+
+ In the case of ties the elector with a casting vote will + decide. The casting vote does not count as a normal vote; + however that elector will usually also get a normal vote. +
+ If a supermajority is required the number of Yes votes in the + final ballot is reduced by an appropriate factor. Strictly + speaking, for a supermajority of F:A, the number of ballots + which prefer Yes to X (when considering whether Yes Dominates + X or X Dominates Yes) or the number of ballots whose first + (remaining) preference is Yes (when doing STV comparisons for + winner and elimination purposes) is multiplied by a factor A/F + before the comparison is done. + + This means that a 2:1 vote, for example, means twice as many + people voted for as against; abstentions are not counted. + +
+ If a quorum is required, there must be at least that many votes + which prefer the winning option to the default option. If + there are not then the default option wins after all. For + votes requiring a supermajority, the actual number of Yes + votes is used when checking whether the quorum has been + reached. +

+ When the Standard Resolution Procedure is to be used, the text + which refers to it must specify what is sufficient to have a draft + resolution proposed and/or sponsored, what the minimum discussion + period is, and what the voting period is. It must also specify + any supermajority and/or the quorum (and default option) to be + used. +

B. Use of language and typography

+ The present indicative (`is', for example) means that the + statement is a rule in this constitution. `May' or `can' indicates + that the person or body has discretion. `Should' means that it + would be considered a good thing if the sentence were obeyed, but + it is not binding. + Text marked as a citation, such as this, is rationale and + does not form part of the constitution. It may be used only to + aid interpretation in cases of doubt. +

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+See the Debian contact page for information on contacting us.