Maintainer Responsibilities

[Jaroslav Reznik]

On Miércoles 03 Junio 2009 05:09:49 Ralf Corsepius escribió:
> Kevin Kofler wrote:
> > Steve Grubb wrote:
> >> I don't want to start a long thread, but just to ask a couple questions
> >> for my own clarification. Does a maintainer's responsibilities end with
> >> packaging bugs? IOW, if there is a problem in the package that is
> >> _broken code_ do they need to do something about it or is it acceptable
> >> for them to close the bug and say talk to upstream?
> >
> > It's the reporter's job to report the bug upstream when asked to do so.
>
> I disagree. Reporters are "users" - "customers" if you like to.
>
> You can't expect them to do anything, nor demand them to do anything,
> nor force them to do anything.

We are not forcing anyone to do anything but we think direct communication 
between user and developer is much more better - our "users/customers" are 
upstream's "users/customers" either, we are more reseller - distributor. But 
this doesn't mean we LEFT our users in such cases - we are still tracking this 
bug, we are communicating with upstream, helping our users to report it and if 
upstream have solution, we are trying to use it (in form of patches, 
suggestions etc.). To satisfy our needs, users needs, upstream needs... 

Jaroslav

PS: I'm not saying to not report bugs to RH bugzilla, we can help then but 
lack of direct communication between user and developer is issue, back to 
propritetary software....

>
> That said, I consider it to be a Fedora package's maintainer's job and
> duty to act as moderator/arbiter/coordinator to initiate appropriate
> communication/interaction between all different parties (reporter,
> packager, upstreams) "when necessary/if required".
>
> Ralf