Proposing a New App Developer Upload Process

[Scott Kitterman]

Michael Hall <mhall119 at ubuntu.com> wrote:

>
>On 09/04/2012 05:50 PM, Scott Kitterman wrote:
>> On Wednesday, September 05, 2012 12:11:18 AM Emmet Hikory wrote:
>>>     For application developers who prefer standard locations, I
>don't see
>>> any reason we oughtn't simply add their packages to the repository
>with
>>> immediate backport: in addition to allowing application developers
>to put
>>> their files in any policy-compliant location, it automatically
>provides a
>>> safe upgrade path for users.  Even for software with release cycles
>that
>>> require significantly more frequent updates than typically provided
>by our
>>> release cycle, there are few barriers to keeping this updated in
>backports,
>>> and users who have installed from backports will remain with
>backports, so
>>> their most active and interested users may be expected to always
>have the
>>> latest version, while highly conservative users will be able to
>enjoy a
>>> consistent ABI during the life of a given release (although these
>users
>>> would need to wait for our next release before using the package).
>> 
>> +1.  I've never understood why there is resistance to this.
>> 
>> Scott K
>> 
>
>App developers don't want to be distro maintainers.  That's why so many
>never attempt to get their apps into Universe or Debian.
>
>Right now PPAs are the easiest way for app developers to deliver their
>apps, so that's what they're using.  It makes things worse (and less
>safe) for users, but when they are faced with the choice between
>installing yet another PPA from someone they don't know, or not getting
>the app they want, they have been installing the PPA.
>
Certainly, but the current ARB level of effort could have gotten packages into the distro via backports with almost certainly less effort on the part of ARB members and no more on the part of app developers.  Absent a highly automated system, the technical rationale for extras is very weak.

Scott K