Ubuntu Development Processes (OLF2010)

transcript

UbuntuDevelopmentProcesses

MackenzieMorgan

DeveloperGroups

The ReleaseCycle

MakingChanges

Ubuntu Development Processes

Mackenzie Morgan

Ohio LinuxFest 2010 UbuCon

10 September 2010

MackenzieMorgan

DeveloperGroups

The ReleaseCycle

MakingChanges

Outline

1 Developer Groups

2 The Release Cycle

3 Making Changes

4 Bugs

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MakingChanges

Who are the developers?

But that’s outdated

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What changed?

Archive reorganisation (hereafter: archive reorg)

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What’s archive reorg?

A switch away from components to a unified archive withfiner-grained RBAC for uploading

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Pre-Archive Reorganisation

4 components:

Restricted

Universe

Multiverse

Core-devs upload to all of the above.Masters of the Universe (MOTU) upload to Universe &Multiverse

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Post-Archive Reorganisation

Packagesets:

Ubuntu Desktop

Ubuntu Server

Kubuntu

Xubuntu

Mythbuntu

Ubuntu Studio

Ubuntu Education Edition

Ubuntu Mobile

Kernel

Network Manager

Correspond to packages on install discs

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And those access controls. . . ?

Each packageset has a set of developers

Core devs still upload anything

MOTU upload anything not in a package set

New: Generalist devs upload anything not in a restrictedpackageset

New: Per-package uploaders

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Where are we now?

Ubuntu Desktop

Ubuntu Server

Kubuntu

Mythbuntu

Kernel

Mozilla

Per-package uploaders

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How many developers are there?

167 in ubuntu-dev

Unknown number of “prospective developers”

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How do I find a package’s maintainer?

You don’t. We’re not Debian.

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What if you lack upload rights?

Other developers can sign off on and upload your package(sponsoring)

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How do you get upload rights?

1 Do good work & get it sponsored

2 Create a wiki page to apply

3 Get sponsors to vouch for you on your wiki page

4 Go to a Developer Membership Board (or one of thedelegated boards) meeting and get voted in

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DeveloperGroups

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Outline

1 Developer Groups

2 The Release Cycle

3 Making Changes

4 Bugs

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MakingChanges

First things first

Binary-copy packages from previous release

Automatically sync from Debian Sid (Testing if LTS)

Merge remaining packages

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Stages

Ubuntu Developer Summit

3–4 Alphas

1–2 Beta

1–2 Release Candidates

Ship it!

Also, lots of freezes (Toolchain, Debian Import, String, UI,Feature, Final. . . )

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What happens during freezes?

Uploads are queued pending Archive Admin approvalhttp://launchpad.net/ubuntu/maverick/+queue

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Stable Release Upgrades (SRU)

Bugfixes only (preferably minimal patch)

Must document regression potential

Upload to -proposed

Member of ubuntu-sru will approve the upload

Moves to -updates after 2 weeks in -proposed

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DeveloperGroups

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Outline

1 Developer Groups

2 The Release Cycle

3 Making Changes

4 Bugs

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MakingChanges

Packages are kept in VCS, like every other distro,right?

Er. . . yes and no. . .Yes, all but ∼500 packages are in bzr nowNo, it hasn’t always been this wayUbuntu Distributed Development (UDD) is the attempt atchange

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We followed Debian on the debuild -S && dput

../*.changes thing

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Why change?

Debian has only a few maintainers per packageWe have team maintainership, >70 developers responsible

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How’s the change going?

Slowly.

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Why slowly?

We have (thanks mostly to James Westby):

tools (mostly)

docs (mostly)

branches (mostly)

Have you ever tried to convince 150 people to stop doing whatseems to work and learn something new?

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Why slowly?

We have (thanks mostly to James Westby):

tools (mostly)

docs (mostly)

branches (mostly)

Have you ever tried to convince 150 people to stop doing whatseems to work and learn something new?

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Old workflow

apt-get source foo

cd foo

Make changes & add changelog entry

debuild -S

Use pbuilder to test-build ../*.dsc

dput foo*.changes

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New workflow

bzr branch lp:ubuntu/foo or bzr branch

lp:ubuntu/hardy/foo

cd foo

Make changes & add changelog entry

bzr-buildpackage -S

Use pbuilder to test-build ../*.dsc

debcommit

debcommit generates changelog entryThen it diverges. . .If the team merges many changes then releases: bzr push

If not: dput ubuntu ../*.changes && bzr

mark-uploaded && bzr push

No, there’s no automated “build this branch” button yet

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DeveloperGroups

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Outline

1 Developer Groups

2 The Release Cycle

3 Making Changes

4 Bugs

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How do I report a bug?

apt-cache policy package

If package version shows Debian/Ubuntu changes:ubuntu-bug package

If not or if clearly not a packaging bug, report it upstream

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How are patches handled in Ubuntu?

Badly.

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“Not enough monkeys”– Daniel T. Chen

∼2000 patches bitrotting in Launchpad

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What’s being done about it?

Operation Cleansweep

Ubuntu Reviews team

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Operation Cleansweep

Try to review all patches & forward the good ones before10.10 is releasedhttps://wiki.ubuntu.com/OperationCleansweep

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Reviews Team

Ubuntu Reviews team formed to:

review patches

upstream patches if needed

run Patch Days

http://launchpad.net/∼ubuntu-reviews

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How can I submit a patch?

Attach it to the bug report

Mark it as a patch on upload

Add the “patch” tag to the bug

Submit it upstream too!

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Can I use the bzr branches from before?

Yes!If making a new candidate revision:

In debian/changelog: LP: #12345

debcommit

bzr push lp:me/foo/fixfor12345

If not:

bzr commit --fixes 12345

Fill in a changelog entry

bzr push lp:me/foo/fixfor12345

Branch is automatically linked to bug reportbzr lp-open to submit merge proposal

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Can I submit a debdiff like in Debian?

Yes!Subscribe ubuntu-sponsors to the bug report (and still includeLP: #12345 in debian/changelog)

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What’s that LP: #12345 stuff?

Bug #12345 will be automatically marked Fix Released whenthe package is uploaded

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Why so many bugs in stable?

Testing happens too late (Beta)

Rushing to fix bugs late introduces more bugs

Need more developers

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Questions?

Ubuntu Development Processes (OLF2010)

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