[Mageia-dev] Proposal of a backporting process

[Wolfgang Bornath]

2011/6/25 Ahmad Samir <ahmadsamir3891 at gmail.com>:
> On 25 June 2011 22:15, Samuel Verschelde <stormi at laposte.net> wrote:
>> Le samedi 25 juin 2011 21:22:20, Ahmad Samir a écrit :
>>> On 25 June 2011 19:33, Samuel Verschelde <stormi at laposte.net> wrote:
>>> > Le vendredi 24 juin 2011 21:39:51, Ahmad Samir a écrit :
>>> >> On 24 June 2011 02:09, Michael Scherer <misc at zarb.org> wrote:
>>> >> > - Someone request a backport ( by bugzilla, by madb, by a email, by
>>> >> > taking a packager family in hostage, whatever ). I would prefer use
>>> >> > bugzilla but this may not be very user friendly, or too heavy.
>>> >>
>>> >> How would the packager get notified of backports requests via madb?
>>> >
>>> > There are several options :
>>> > - option 1 : maintainers prefer to have all backports requests in
>>> > bugzilla. Madb will then create backports requests via XML-RPC, with the
>>> > original reporter in CC maybe, and regularly watch bug report status.
>>> > This will be extra work on madb's side and force those users (who maybe
>>> > don't know how to use bugzilla) to use 1 tool for the request and a
>>> > different tool for testing reports, but why not.
>>> > - option 2 : maintainers are OK to use bugzilla for bugs and madb for
>>> > package requests => madb will query the maintainers database and notify
>>> > the maintainer(s) by mail. It could, like bugzilla, send notifications
>>> > to a ML too, and provide a simple yet sufficient tracking system
>>> > (status, comments).
>>>
>>> [...]
>>>
>>> >> Would you elaborate on how bugzilla is heavy for a backports request?
>>> >
>>> > Heavy I don't know, but I think that we can give users a better tool to
>>> > request backports, see what backports already have been requested, etc.
>>>
>>> Yes, but what's wrong with bugzilla and better in the other tool?
>>
>> Bugzilla is an issue tracker, and is centered on that concept. I think that a
>> simple "request backport" button in a package database browsing application
>> can be easier and more efficient, in that the "need" will be more easily
>> transmitted from the user to the packager. The backports requests we get today
>> (and got back in mandriva) don't represent the majority of needs. I'd like to
>> see what happens if users have a dead simple way to request them.
>>
>
> You want to interface for users, so that they don't have to deal with
> a 1minute-to-fill bug report to request a backport... that's your
> prerogative, I don' have a problem with that as long as it works.

The "Request Backport Button" could be a solution for non-english
speakers. They can not use Bugzilla because they can not write in
English to make their request understood, but they can find the
package name in a database and understand the function of a button
which reads "Backport".

-- 
wobo