[csw-maintainers] Non-Maintainer Uploads (NMUs)

[Peter FELECAN]

"Maciej (Matchek) Bliziński" <maciej at opencsw.org> writes:

> 2013/8/15 Peter FELECAN <pfelecan at opencsw.org>:
>>>> 2. As for the persons implementing this, from an efficiency point of
>>>>    view, who are the best suited candidates in your opinion?
>>>
>>> Anyone who cares and understands at least a little bit of Python.
>>> Whoever does it, will have to walk through multiple stages and levels
>>> of data processing. If someone new takes on this task, they will learn
>>> a lot about the infrastructure and improve our bus factor (yay!).
>>
>> My question wasn't innocent as I read some parts of the code and I must
>> confess that an architecture documentation, at least, is missing to
>> understand the thing. For example I'll had a great difficulty to set up
>> a test platform to explore the needed modifications.
>
> The problem with the buildfarm is that until other people tried, it
> has ever been installed once. Then it was modified several times. We
> didn't even know if it is still possible to install from scratch .
>
> In January this year, I've attempted to make an instructional video
> how to set up a private buildfarm. I've realized that using the
> resources I had at home, it was impossible. I've set out to adapt the
> code so that you can set up a build host on a small virtual machine.
> I'm working on the rewrite to this day; it is my priority.
>
> With regard to documentation, what level of detail do you think is
> optimal? I'm willing to write the documentation, but I'd prefer that
> someone reads it as I'm writing it so I have feedback if I'm on the
> right track at all.

This is an endeavor that I like and think necessary. I'm a volunteer for
this: being a guinea pig for building a farm using your documentation
and I'll give plenty of feedback in the process. We can use a different
thread such as the process is public and well identified and others can
chime in or even follow the construction themselves.

>> I think that the
>> effort needed to implement this by a novice is at least one order of
>> magnitude greater than that for one who already knows the code and
>> architecture.
>
> You're right, but there's no way around this; and me implementing it
> isn't a solution. It only delays the symptoms. It's better for another
> person to attempt now and have me to answer their questions. If a bus
> hit me, it'd be worse.

Yeah, the bus metaphor... OK, lets take an insurance against that
undesirable event and proceed. The only thing which bothers me is that,
for the purpose of the initial subject, i.e. NMU, is quite a yak shaving
session. But I'm used to it, I do that more than what I really wish to
focus on.

-- 
Peter