[maemo-community] Extras and Fremantle

[From: Quim Gil]

ext Eduardo Lima (Etrunko) wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 8:27 AM, David Greaves <david at dgreaves.com> wrote:
>> Debian has stable/testing/experimental
>>
>> Why not copy from the best?
>>
>> extras/stable == extras
>>  - listed on maemo.org
>> extras/testing == extras-testing
>>  - for testers - should be safe
>> extras/experimental == extras-devel
>>  - "hey, it actually worked this time!"
>>
> 
> This is actually a good scenario but I think there is already too much
> workload and time for a developer/packager using the current
> extras/extras-devel structure.

In Debian packages are moved automatically from the unstable distrubtion
to testing and stable, meaning that the maintainers of the packages have
to do nothing unless they get bugs to be fixed.

We could even consider mirroring the Debian scheme:

- extras-experimental (OPTIONAL): very easy upload a package but very
difficult for a user to find/download/install anything from there
accidentally. Main goal: get rid of the 1001 repos and the stand alone
debs out there.

- extras-devel = unstable (MANDATORY): upload and build on sources +
dependencies are satisfied. The upload can be done directly or as
promotions from experimental. Users shouldn't bother about this. Goal:
get a place where developers put software once they think it's ready for
users at a feature/completeness level and feedback is needed.

- extras-testing ("AUTOMATIC"): A package gets automatically promoted
from unstable to testing after N days, N votes, N downloads, lack of
critical bugs, pass through automated testing or whatever is the defined
QA process. Goal: offer a repository for power users to try out fresh
software and provide real user feedback.

- extras-stable ("AUTOMATIC"): A package gets automatically promoted
from testing to stable after going through the QA process again. If
blocker/critical bugs are found in a stable package then the maintainers
are given a period of time to fix them but if they don't then the
package might go through a demotion process to testing or elsewhere.

This would mean that a developer should upload his packages to
extras-devel and, if they are good, he should do nothing else to have
them in testing and stable at some point.

-- 
Quim Gil