Debian Sync - Re: Let's Discuss Interim Releases (and a Rolling Release)

[Scott Kitterman]

On Thursday, February 28, 2013 01:38:28 PM Steve Langasek wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 04:16:57PM -0500, Scott Kitterman wrote:
> >> I do think that while 75% of the archive is imported unmodified from
> >> Debian, the vast majority of these packages are in the long tail that
> >> both a) don't individually have many users in Ubuntu, and b) don't have
> >> anyone paying attention to bug reports in Ubuntu.  We already import
> >> these packages with RC bugs from Debian unstable; we already don't commit
> >> to fixing these in the Ubuntu devel series; we already release these
> >> packages to users as part of the 6-monthly releases.  So I don't think a
> >> rolling release actually changes anything here.  And with or without a
> >> rolling release, there are ways we can improve our response to Debian RC
> >> bugs in Ubuntu if there are people willing to work on that.
> > 
> > It's not just dark corners of the archive.  We also get about 1/3
> > (estimating visually from the MoM graphic) of Main unmodified from Debian:
> > 
> > https://merges.ubuntu.com/main-now.png
> 
> Yes.  My unproven assertion is that those packages have a much lower rate of
> RC bugs per package than the rest of the archive, because as core packages
> they're maintained more conservatively in Debian.
> 
> Also, there are 17k source packages in universe, 3k source packages in main;
> 75% of the archive =~ 15k, 1/3 of main =~ 1k, I don't think that ratio is
> at odds with my "vast majority" claim.

Fair enough.  I guess I over inferred.  I do think it's important the people 
realize there are many packages we sync from Debian that are quite broadly 
used, so the questions related to Debian sync and this proposal can't be 
dismissed simply with "Meh, it's Universe."

Scott K