Fedora Extras packaging beta software into production repos, why?

[Nicolas Mailhot]

Le Mar 31 octobre 2006 00:30, Michael Schwendt a écrit :
> On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:02:53 -0500, Christopher Aillon wrote:
>
>> Michael Schwendt wrote:

>> > A couple of valid questions have been raised. And an upgrade to a beta
>> > release with an approval in less than 24 hours is something that is
>> > broken.
>>
>> Not necessarily.  There can be valid reasons to do so.  Major security
>> problems in the old one can be a valid reason.  The old package might
>> violate some sort of patent or copyright or trademark which has been
>> fixed in the beta.  Probably other reasons, too.
>
> None of your examples is a valid reason, because all this is still during
> the Fedora Extras New Package Process when the package is _not_ included
> within Fedora Extras yet.

So the FE review should approve the known-broken version of some software
instead of the known-fixed/improved beta is that what you are saying ?

The problem is not beta vs stable or 3rd party vs FE. The problem is
staging releases so people can test at the appropriate time and are not
surprised by the result.

Stability of EPEL is ensured by exposure in FE first
Stability of FE is ensured by exposure in FE devel first (*not* FCx will
be released in one week, let's dump new versions of all my packages in FE
devel now, but FCxT1 will be released in one week, let's put all my
dangerous FE bits - new major versions, packaging changes, beta versions,
whatever - in FE devel now).

Creating a huge backlog of packages few people tested on a live system and
that will be dumped in FE and EPEL simultaneously once the last review of
the packageset is done won't help anyone.

Ability to request grace periods in reviews or staging in devel first will
help coordinate and test. Blocking on a magical "stable release" or
"packageset review completed" event won't. People will just assume the
magical event will occur later (sometimes even never, as Axel honestly
stated), not review/test anything, and come back screaming bloody murder
when the packageset is actually released.

-- 
Nicolas Mailhot