Stable GNOME updates, how could be do better?

[Bryce Harrington]

On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 01:02:27PM +0200, Martin Pitt wrote:
> > One way would be to have a second source of updates which would not
> > be "certified" in addition of the -updates which follow the strict
> > sru policy, this one would not be enabled by default but easy to
> > configure for users. Any other though?
> 
> Since this wouldn't be enabled by default (as you confirmed on IRC),
> it would be similar to backports in the "opt-in, low barrier" sense,
> but wouldn't get new software or major new versions. However, this
> would make the cost:benefit ratio dramatically worse: You spend a
> third of the developer time compared to a real SRU, but you only help
> 1/10000 of users (those who manually enable this pocket).
> 
> So frankly I don't personally see much value in having this new
> component, but I don't object to having it, if other people consider
> it useful.

I have been experimenting with an x-updates PPA since Jaunty, and have
been happy with the results.  Based on my experience I think some of the
concerns are overstated:

First, the developer time is pretty minimal.  Basically, most typically
I'm just doing a s/karmic/jaunty/ and uploading to the ppa, or a
fakesync of a debian release.  I might tweak a version in a control file
or toss in a patch, but it's generally a very trivial amount of work.
Second, I'm not the only person maintaining it; since it's a PPA, I can
enable people I trust (but who may not yet be core-dev) to do updates.

Second, I feel it is useful in giving users an extra degree of freedom.
You mention:

 > most users of that release either learned to live with its bugs and
 > found workarounds, or have already left it for something else (be that
 > a newer or older Ubuntu release, another Linux distro, or another OS).

I'd prefer users not feel the need to leave for something else (or at
least, not have to switch from Ubuntu).  So if adding -updates enables
even a small portion of our userbase to stay with us, it is a win.

Third, I find it really, really useful for testing purposes.  Before, we
would often need the reporter to test newer versions, and take time to
explain how to build locally, or install some random debs or ppas.
Having an official place to go to get the newer upstream releases
simplifies things greatly.

Bryce