REVU: Automated Package Checks

[Nathan Handler]

On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 6:11 PM, Scott Kitterman <ubuntu at kitterman.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:30:29 -0600 Nathan Handler <nhandler at ubuntu.com>
> wrote:
> The purposes of needs packaging bugs are to give people a way to request
> things get packaged, to give packagers an idea what people would like to
> see, and to make work in progress visible to avoid duplication.
>
> It would be a shame to not upload a package due to lack of filling out some
> form.  Needs packaging bus are a good idea, but to block anything due to
> lack of one puts form over function.  Please leave this one out.

I completely agree with you Scott. I do not feel that creating and
closing a needs-packaging bug for a package you intend to package
yourself serves any significant purpose. However, many wiki pages list
a needs-packaging bug as a requirement for a new package. I am not
sure if this requirement is an official requirement, but it is listed
in enough wiki pages that it is treated as such. In my experience, if
the only thing missing in a package is the closing of a
needs-packaging bug, the package is either uploaded as-is, or the MOTU
modifies the package to close the bug. However, I do not see anything
wrong (if a needs-packaging bug is a real requirement) with having an
automated check of the package when it is first uploaded that checks
to see if it closes a needs-packaging bug. Since it happens right when
the package is uploaded, the uploader can easily make the change. I
feel this is very different than asking the uploader to close a
needs-packaging bug after several months of no comments, when the rest
of the package is good.