From 8e0675e353aa931b01fa42667d5e005c23d75b03 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: aph Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 07:25:51 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] incorporated suggestions from or inspired by Branden Robinson git-svn-id: svn://anonscm.debian.org/ddp/manuals/trunk/developers-reference@664 313b444b-1b9f-4f58-a734-7bb04f332e8d --- debian/changelog | 3 +- developers-reference.sgml | 231 +++++++++++++++++++++----------------- 2 files changed, 132 insertions(+), 102 deletions(-) diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog index 2903f40..99bfe52 100644 --- a/debian/changelog +++ b/debian/changelog @@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ developers-reference (2.4.1.5) unstable; urgency=low and should not be included in this Reference. * Add discussion of the "experimental" distribution, culled from an email from Guy Maor on debian-devel. + * Incorporated suggestions from Branden Robinson (closes Bug#27211). * Point to doc-debian's mailing list instructions where relevant. * Made references to online documentation into URLs where possible. * Little corrections here and there. @@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ developers-reference (2.4.1.5) unstable; urgency=low * debian/rules: comment out my 'source-depends' hack; it's just slowing things down - -- Adam P. Harris Mon, 28 Sep 1998 00:59:41 -0400 + -- Adam P. Harris Thu, 1 Oct 1998 03:24:19 -0400 developers-reference (2.4.1.4) unstable; urgency=low diff --git a/developers-reference.sgml b/developers-reference.sgml index eeb6a26..bc8d66b 100644 --- a/developers-reference.sgml +++ b/developers-reference.sgml @@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ ]> @@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ General Public License for more details. A copy of the GNU General Public License is available as /usr/doc/copyright/GPL in the Debian GNU/Linux distribution or on the World Wide Web at . You can also obtain it by -writing to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite -330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA. +id="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html" name="the GNU website">. +You can also obtain it by writing to the Free Software Foundation, +Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA. @@ -79,14 +79,14 @@ Manual">.

So, you've read all the documentation, you understand what everything in the Firstly, subscribe to .

@@ -102,12 +102,12 @@ details. The IRC channel Registering as a Debian developer

-Before you decide to work in the Debian Project you have to read the -. Registering as a developer means that you agree with and -pledge to uphold the Debian Social Contract; it is very important that -maintainers are in accord with the essential ideas behind Debian -GNU/Linux. Reading the . Registering as a developer means that +you agree with and pledge to uphold the Debian Social Contract; it is +very important that maintainers are in accord with the essential ideas +behind Debian GNU/Linux. Reading the would also be a good idea.

@@ -186,10 +186,14 @@ United States. You can find the current locations of those packages on /pub/debian/README.non-US file.

-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. This does not apply in France, where I believe -only encryption and not authentication is forbidden. +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 authenication, rather than encryption purposes (as is +the case in France). The Debian Project does not require the use of +cryptography Once you have all your information ready, and your public key is available on public key servers, send a message to @@ -214,7 +218,7 @@ overworked, and mistakes do occasionally happen. Debian Mentors

There is a mailing list called for details). @@ -239,10 +243,11 @@ id="ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/mailing-lists.txt"> or locally in /usr/doc/debian/mailing-lists.txt if you have the doc-debian package installed.

-When replying to messages on the mailing list, please do not send a -carbon copy ( In addition, all messages should usually only be sent to one of the following mailing lists: . Cross-posting is -discouraged. +id="http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/subscribe">. Cross-posting +(sending the same message to multiple lists) is discouraged.

Sections

-The main section is what makes up the Debian GNU/Linux -distribution. This is because the packages in the other two -sections do not fully comply with all our guidelines. As such, they -are not officially part of Debian. +The main section is what makes up the official Debian +GNU/Linux distribution. This is because the packages in the other +two sections do not fully comply with all our guidelines. As such, +they are not officially part of Debian.

-For example, every package in the main distribution must fully comply +For example, every package in the main section must fully comply with the (DFSG) and with all other policy requirements as described in the (The contains a more exact definition of the three -sections. This is just meant to be an introduction.) +sections. The above discussion is just an introduction.)

The separation of the three sections at the top-level of the archive is important for all people who want to distribute Debian, either via @@ -380,8 +393,8 @@ distribution, for example.

On the other hand, a CD-ROM vendor could easily check the individual package licenses of the packages in Architectures @@ -392,7 +405,8 @@ more and more popular, the kernel was ported to other architectures, too.

The Linux 2.0 kernel supports Intel, DEC Alphas, SUN Sparcs, M68000 -machines (like Atari and Amiga), MIPS, and PowerPC. +(a.k.a. m68k) machines (like Atari and Amiga), MIPS, and PowerPC +(a.k.a. ppc).

Debian GNU/Linux 1.3 is only available for Intel platforms. Debian 2.0 supports Intel and m68k architectures. The next version of Debian @@ -403,8 +417,8 @@ more. Subsections

The sections Source packages consist of either two or three files: a If a package is developed specially for Debian and is not distributed @@ -427,11 +441,11 @@ the sources of the program.

If a package is distributed elsewhere too, the -The The ``development'' is done in the -After about a period of development, the -Note, that development is continued during the ``freeze'' period, -since a new In summary, there is always a Release code names

Every released Debian distribution has a Since the Debian has an open development model (i.e., everyone can participate and follow the development) even the ``development @@ -556,8 +573,8 @@ If you want to create a new package for the Debian distribution, you should first check the page. Checking -the WNPP ensures that no-one is already working on packaging that -software, and that effort is not duplicated. Assuming no-one else is +the WNPP ensures that no one is already working on packaging that +software, and that effort is not duplicated. Assuming no one else is already working on your prospective package, you must then send a short email to -I think the announcements gives us a better feel of what is going on, -and what is new, in the project. +The announcements give maintainers and other interested parties a +better feel of what is going on, and what is new, in the project. + We should not dismiss anybody who installs from unstable and helps us @@ -598,10 +616,6 @@ debug our packages as "fools, fools, you installed from unstable; you deserve what you get"--we derive a certain benefit from the alpha testers. - -If we appreciate alpha testers, than any name changes have to be -backwards compatible with the people who already installed the old -package (conflict and replace old package name at a minimum). @@ -659,7 +673,7 @@ file should be used to build the new diffs and By default - install the package and make sure the software - works - - upgrade the package from an older version to your - new version + install the package and make sure the software + works, or upgrade the package from an older version to + your new version if a Debian package for it already + exists downgrade the package to the previous version - (this tests the remove the package @@ -709,8 +723,17 @@ To upload a package, you need a personal account on have this account. You can use either /home/Debian/ftp/private/project/Incoming. (You -cannot upload to Incoming on master using anonymous FTP--you must use -your user-name and password.) +cannot upload to Incoming on master using anonymous FTP -- you must use +your username and password.) +

+ You may also find the Debian package To upload a package to the . Note, that +id="ftp://non-us.debian.org/pub/debian-non-US/Incoming">. Note, that the .changes file must have a valid PGP signature from one of the keys of the developers keyring. @@ -779,15 +802,20 @@ before the start of the +

If a package is released with -If you use dupload, it is clever enough to determine for itself where -the announcement should go, and will automatically mail the -announcement. +On occassion, it is necessary to upload a package to both the +The . Notification that a new package has been installed

@@ -882,12 +910,12 @@ sent to list. This list is also available at in the Work-Needing and Prospective Packages document (WNPP), -and at . If you wish -to take over maintenance of any of the packages listed in the WNPP, or -if you can no longer maintain a packages you have, or you simply want -to know if any one is working on a new package, send a message to -. +If you wish to take over maintenance of any of the packages listed in +the WNPP, or if you can no longer maintain a packages you have, or you +simply want to know if any one is working on a new package, send a +message to 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 @@ -905,10 +933,10 @@ cases. Moving packages

-Sometimes a package will change either it's section or it's -subsection. For instance, a package from the `non-free' section might -be GPL'd in a later version; in this case you should consider moving -it to `main' or `contrib' (see the for guidelines).

@@ -1003,10 +1031,11 @@ number. Lintian reports

You should periodically get the new . -That page, which is updated automatically, contains . +That report, which is updated automatically, contains -Note, that when sending lots of bugs on the same subject, you should +Note that when sending lots of bugs on the same subject, you should send the bug report to