[FFmpeg-devel] [RFC] Creating ffmpeg-distmaint mailing list

[Alexander Strasser]

On 2013-12-29 14:42 +0100, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 29, 2013 at 01:17:36PM +0100, Alexander Strasser wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > 
> >   would it be good to have a distribution maintainers mailing list?
> > 
> >   I thought about it this way:
> > 
> >   Developers interested in fixing problems related to FFmpeg
> > distribution packages (at least I would) and FFmpeg packagers
> > would subscribe there.
> > 
> >   The packagers would report run-time or build problems related
> > to their packages. Fixes would be proposed and tested. Proposed
> > fixes that turned out to work well would be posted to ffmpeg-devel
> > and the ffmpeg-distmaint list would be notified again once the
> > patches hit the repository.
> > 
> >   My intents are (in *no* particular order)
> 
> >   - lessen the noise of distribution specific topics on ffmpeg-devel
> 
> trying to fix a non existent problem
> and worse, what are "distribution specific topics"? we have none
> so one cant even argue if they would not actually belong to
> ffmpeg-devel and should be seen by all developers

  That was not meant that way! I only meant if something affects
only a specific group that uses a particular package on a particular
OS then it may not be relevant to the development list as a whole.
One can argue though, that it can be ignored. I do not say anything
against that.

> >   - getting notified earlier and more clearly about distribution problems
> 
> That assumes that all developers read another list and do it before
> they look at ffmpeg-devel, i would be quite surprised if that would
> happen

  First probably not all developers are interested in fixing that
stuff if they are not affected. Second on ffmpeg-devel it can easily
get lost if other discussions are going on. Third there might be
developers particularly interested in fixing problems that affect
the distribution of FFmpeg.

> >   - getting proposed patches tested more widely and quickly
> 
> how ?

  If packagers are subscribed I would assume they test the patches
and may even pre-release them in their packages if they judge the
fix to be good.

> besides patches belong to ffmpeg-devel

  To quote myself:

> > Proposed
> > fixes that turned out to work well would be posted to ffmpeg-devel
> > and the ffmpeg-distmaint list would be notified again once the
> > patches hit the repository.

  The workflow could also be defined this way:

  Post a patch to ffmpeg devel and post a link to that patch to
ffmpeg-distmaint. As far as I am concerned I would like it better
this way.

> >   - getting fixes into the packages more widely and quickly
> 
> how ?

  See above.

> >   - having a means to broadcast things to all (interested) package maintainers
> >   - attract maintainers that do not want to (fully) read ffmpeg-devel / -cvslog
> 
> agree on these 2
> 
> 
> > 
> >   Please comment!
> >
> >   Especially FFmpeg packagers and developers that would be interested
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > to subscribe to such a list.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> I think its important to hear the oppinions of actual ffmpeg
> package maintainers about this before such list is created
> If they want such list? what they would use it for? why ffmpeg-devel
> isnt good enough for it?

  This is why the subject is clearly labeled RFC. I do not know if
it is a clearly good idea and if ffmpeg-devel is not sufficient.

  I agree with you and I never intended to just create another list.

  See also (my first sentece in this mail):
> >   would it be good to have a distribution maintainers mailing list?

> Iam a bit cocerned that important things could be missed by developers
> because they would just the discussed on such new list ...

  Changes cannot be discussed only on those lists, patches must be
taken to ffmpeg-devel first.

[...]

  I hope I could clarify a bit. Maybe I could still not express
exactly what I had in mind.

  Alexander
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