New software created for Ubuntu

[Stefano Zacchiroli]

On Mon, May 03, 2010 at 05:55:29PM +0100, Dmitrijs Ledkovs wrote:
> For ubuntu originated software I do not understand why we should do
> upstrem release, package as non-native, upload to debian and sync to
> ubuntu, when dpkg, lintian, git-buildpackage, synaptic, aptitude are
> not doing that they simply upload native packages. And note that this
> software is useful outside of debian derivatives eco-family cause we

That is a fair remark. Still, I don't think you should assume that it is
so on purpose or to make your life harder. I think the maintainers (and
in most cases also "upstream" authors) of those softwares have thus far
just assumed, in good faith, that there was no use of their software
outside Debian, and that derivatives were just happy to use them
unmodified. That is a possible explanation of why they are packaged as
native Debian packages.

I'm convinced that if you approach the respective maintainers/authors
explaining that there is interest in using the software outside Debian
(or in a derivative which needs a bit more flexibility), they will be
happy to consider packaging them as non-native Debian packages. In fact,
as discussed in this thread, doing so can create further possibilities
of distributions of that softwares and, as authors, I believe they will
be happy about that.

Of course you should be ready to contribute patches in case there is
something that need to be generalized a bit to ease usage in other
contexts than Debian, but that's just usual upstream-downstream business
(e.g. no different than what Debian does when a patch pushed upstream is
considered by upstream "too-specific": we then need to sit down and
generalize it, to the happiness of upstream).

In essence, have you tried proposing de-native-ization of the softwares
you're concerned with?

Cheers.

-- 
Stefano Zacchiroli -o- PhD in Computer Science \ PostDoc @ Univ. Paris 7
zack@{upsilon.cc,pps.jussieu.fr,debian.org} -<>- http://upsilon.cc/zack/
Dietro un grande uomo c'è ..|  .  |. Et ne m'en veux pas si je te tutoie
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