Maintainer Responsibilities

[Kevin Kofler]

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.
Fixing bugs often requires two-way communication, so it's important for
upstream to have a real reporter to talk to, I don't see why it should be
the maintainer's job to play the relaying monkey. We're not carrier
pigeons. We can't even CC the reporter on the upstream bug unless they
register an account there, and at that point they can just as well file the
bug themselves.

        Kevin Kofler