#1 Complaint about Ubuntu: Updates break things

[Philip Wyett]

On Sat, 2008-12-20 at 09:50 -0800, Kees Cook wrote:
> On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 08:57:58PM -0500, Cody A.W. Somerville wrote:
> > To start the ball, I'll throw an idea out: the introduction of multi-tier
> > system that would classify an update based on an agreed set of quantitative
> > and qualitative criteria such as where the component falls in the stack (ie.
> > distinction between the kernel, desktop environment, and an application),
> > popcon score, etc. etc. Each tier would demand a different degree of
> > testing, verification, time in -proposed, sign off from different parties,
> > etc. That way we ensure appropirate people are looking at the SRUs,
> > appropriate testing is occuring, and appropriate happiness is occuring! :)
> 
> Regressions are avoided by a larger variety of people doing testing.
> Not enough people currently give feedback on -proposed.  Adding tiers
> to -proposed would reduce the number of people testing each tier.  I think
> this would result in a net loss.
> 
> I would propose that increasing the number of people giving feedback on
> -proposed would be the better solution.  I don't have a specific plan
> for how to implement that, but it seems that a tighter communication loop
> between people using -proposed, LP, and a log of what they've installed
> and when (some kind of additional bug-filing wizard) could reduce the
> technical knowledge needed to provide useful feedback on proposed.
> And let them revert/blacklist an update easily.
> 
> -- 
> Kees Cook
> Ubuntu Security Team
> 

On the help server and team wiki each have pages that deal with
sru/proposed updates.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuUpdates
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdate

Detail via these pages into what packages are being tested at a given
time or are even available to be tested is zero let alone on the bugs
that are being tested as fixed.

The most valuable page I visit daily that is not linked on either of
these pages and maybe should be is:

http://people.ubuntu.com/~ubuntu-archive/pending-sru.html

Also adding a links to subscribing to the <distro name>-changes lists
may also help in increasing traffic and testers.

Regards

Phil
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