PPA bugs (was: Best practice for reporting bugs)

[Andrew]

2009/3/31 hggdh <hggdh2 at gmail.com>:
snip
>
> Nevertheless, there are some, if not many, of us that build
> off-the-shelf packages to test a new upstream fix, or to provide
> access to upcoming new versions (and help test them), or to add needed
> debug code for a specific, difficult-to-be-reproduced, issue. I posit
> that not having a way to post bugs about these cases hurts more than
> helps.
>

I often have uploaded packages to my PPA when working on a bug and ask
people affected to test the package, but I don't see why people should
file a bug against that package. In this usage there is already an
open bug. Simply provide feedback there.

As far as new and upcoming upstream versions, report the bug in the
upstream's tracker. The bug is not in Ubuntu and filing it against the
Ubuntu package will not help anyone. If the bug is in the upstream
code, they will probably never see it if it is filed on the Ubuntu
package. In cases where upstream is watching the Ubuntu package,
they'll just mark it invalid in Ubuntu and open a task on their
project. Triaging AWN and AWN-Extras, I have to go through this all
the time.

> Of course, there is always the option of creating a brand new BTS,
> perhaps based on bugzilla, outside launchpad.net, to allow for that.
> But I think this would be even more confusing, and detrimental in the
> long run.

While there is no official way to have bugs against PPAs, there is
nothing stopping anyone opening a project on LP for their personal
PPA. I've been thinking about doing this myself. But that assumes
everyone who uses my PPA knows what packages are coming from it....

Another thing I've done with bugs against PPA packages is open an
empty upstream task not actually linked to an upstream bug tracker and
subscribed the PPA owner to that bug. Of course this won't work if the
upstream uses LP.

>
> Finally, for why is this being discussed here: because this involves a
> "Best Practice for Reporting Bugs". It is, I accept, a borderline
> aspect, but still has potential impacts on bug management.
>
> ..hggdh..
>

Really when it comes down to it, the problem I see is that there is no
way to tell where the bug belongs if you aren't the one who added the
repository.

If some one reports a bug against foo_X.Y-Z~ppaA There very well could
be ten different PPA's that have that same source package with the
same versioning but completely different packaging. The responsibility
is on the reporter. I'm not sure how we get around that.

If PPA owner's are using their PPAs for testing, they should make
clear to the user how to provide feedback.


One thought about a solution I had, was possibly creating an optional
XBCS field in debian/control that PPA owners could use to provide bug
filing instructions which apport would look for. Then if some one
tries to use apport to file a bug against a PPA package they would see
the bug filing instructions instead of simply being told they can't
file a bug.

- Andrew Starr-Bochicchio