[Mageia-dev] Backports policy proposal

[Samuel Verschelde]

Le vendredi 24 juin 2011 02:10:14, Michael Scherer a écrit :
> I would also propose a few rules :
> 
> "a package should have been in cauldron since 1 week before being
> backported", so we can at least ensure there was a minimal test on it,
> Ie, if I package stuff-virtual-manager, I cannot backport it before 1
> week. If we have a package of stuff-virtual-manager since 1 month, and
> that I update a new version, then I can backport. The idea is that a
> newer packages may suffer from more bug than older one.

Could this apply only to "-backport" media and not "-backport_testing " media 
? I would find good to be able to send a package very quickly to 
backports_testing so that I can start to be tested as soon as possible. A 
whole week for that would be a long time, considering that after that you have 
to add more time so that the backport can be tested.

By the way I think a packager usually knows the risks there is to send a 
package too quickly to the backports and that we don't necessarily need to 
enforce such a strict "1 week" rule. Especially when sending to 
backports_testing first.

 
> - cannot be backported if this is not a leaf package, will be revised
> later

I would like to be less strict, by replacing "leaf package" by "leaf group of 
packages, tighly tied together by strict requires".

Examples : 
- A requires newer B and C, and no other package requires B and C (quite 
common with games where data are split into separate packages) => you can 
backport A, B, C. To me this situation should be possible.
- A requires newer B, but D depends on B too => you can't backport A and B 
alone, but if the maintainers consider it acceptable to enforce upgrade of D 
when someone wants to upgrade A or upgrade of A when someone wants to upgrade 
D (could be related pieces of software), then you can backport A, B and D (and 
make sure to set the good requires). To me this situation would be nice to 
have as an available option.

Best regards

Samuel Verschelde