On Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 2:34 PM, Reuben Thomas <r...@sc3d.org> wrote: > Hi, > > I recently filed an Ubuntu bug making a sync request: > > https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/sudo/+bug/689025 > > I got what looks like a cut-and-paste response pointing me to: > https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SyncRequestProcess > > It reads: > > Please update your bug so it follows the requirements for sync > requests: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SyncRequestProcess > Please be aware that the Natty would automatically sync the version > from Debian Squeeze if there were no Ubuntu specific changes in the > package. The most important thing is therefore to check whether these > changes are still needed. > > I have nothing against cut-and-paste responses per se, they are a > useful way to save developer time in common situations. However, I > have two problems with this one: > > 1. Unlike many other excellent automatic responses, this one does not > thank me for my bug report. It implies that for anything to be done > for my bug report, I have to go and follow the instructions on the > page pointed to. But why should I? I have reported the bug, I have not > indicated that I am anything other than an ordinary user, why on earth > would you think I have the time or indeed the skills needed to triage > my own bug report against the criteria on this page? As it happens, I > have both the time and the skills, but I still choose not to work on > Ubuntu itself; I choose to spend my effort upstream (for example, I > helped to make some improvements to sudo recently), and downstream (in > this case, reporting this bug). In summary, this automatic response > looks rather ungrateful.
First of all, thank you for your contributions and your thoughtful email on Ubuntu development. You certainly targeted a number of pain points (some of which we are very aware of) that make contributing to Ubuntu as a bug reporter or developer more difficult than it should be. As for this specific interaction, it seems to be a case of a bug triager not being completely aware of Ubuntu development procedures. > 2. I went and had a look at the policy page on sync requests, and as > the response to my bug report indicates, it mentions more than once > that to justify a sync request, it should be proven that > Ubuntu-specific changes are no longer needed in the new Debian version > of the package. But the trouble is, there are situations such as the > present in which they are still needed, and for a good reason: there > are differences in policy between Ubuntu and Debian. So, the changes > will need to be forward-ported. I can see nothing explicit in the page > about this case, though common sense tells me that the Ubuntu-specific > patches would need to be triaged. What is needed in this case is a merge, not a sync. As the wiki page points out, if Ubuntu-specific changes should be forward-ported, then the package is not a candidate for syncing. It should probably include a link directing readers to the page about merging <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuDevelopment/Merging>. Of course you shouldn't need to worry about these things. In my opinion, the triager show have thanked you for the report and mark the bug as "Triaged." This status implies that there is enough information in the bug, and it is ready for a developer to look in to. Thanks! - Andrew Starr-Bochicchio -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
