New Derivative Distribution team formed.

I would like to introduce a new team to the Ubuntu Community
- the
DerivativeTeam[1].

I many ways I have been frustrated by the fragmented nature
of open
source projects and distributions.  Many projects and
distributions
often seem to treat other projects and distributions with
disdain.  As
upstreams, we just drop our code off in repositories.  As
downstreams,
we seem to pick up the packages that we want and scurry back
to our own
community.

As open source has grown over the past several years, so
have the
complexities.  No one developer is able to get his mind
around many
projects.  No one distribution is going to meet every users
needs.

With this in mind, I have started the DerivativeTeam.  My
goal is to
start collaborating with our derivatives in three areas: Bug
handling,
patch pushing, and developing a code base that is easily
customizable. 

1 Bug handling. Make our bug process as compatible as
possible to ease
the flow of information back and forth. This includes both
triaging and
automatic crash reports systems. 

2 Patch Pushing. Clean up our patch system so that the
Ubuntu specific
bits can be identified and replaced with Derivative bits.
Combine our
resources on the common bits so that we can develop good
patches to push
upstream. 

3 Customizing. Insure that for the most part we are using
the same code
base. There is no sense in all of us dragging around huge
patch sets.
Instead we should take steps to insure that a derivatives
value added
bits integrate closely with Ubuntu's base. 

My experience has been that large grandiose projects often
fail.  Rather
then try to establish an Ubuntu wide policy.  I would like
to identify
specific packages in Ubuntu that are well suited to
collaboration and
start using them as test cases. 

1 https://wiki.u
buntu.com/DerivativeTeam

thanks
-- 
David Farning <dfarninggmail.com>


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On Friday 02 March 2007 03:20:24 David Farning wrote:
> I would like to introduce a new team to the Ubuntu
Community - the
> DerivativeTeam[1].
>
> I many ways I have been frustrated by the fragmented
nature of open
> source projects and distributions.  Many projects and
distributions
> often seem to treat other projects and distributions
with disdain.  As
> upstreams, we just drop our code off in repositories. 
As downstreams,
> we seem to pick up the packages that we want and scurry
back to our own
> community.
>
> As open source has grown over the past several years,
so have the
> complexities.  No one developer is able to get his mind
around many
> projects.  No one distribution is going to meet every
users needs.
>
> With this in mind, I have started the DerivativeTeam. 
My goal is to
> start collaborating with our derivatives in three
areas: Bug handling,
> patch pushing, and developing a code base that is
easily customizable.
>
> 1 Bug handling. Make our bug process as compatible as
possible to ease
> the flow of information back and forth. This includes
both triaging and
> automatic crash reports systems.
>
> 2 Patch Pushing. Clean up our patch system so that the
Ubuntu specific
> bits can be identified and replaced with Derivative
bits. Combine our
> resources on the common bits so that we can develop
good patches to push
> upstream.
>
> 3 Customizing. Insure that for the most part we are
using the same code
> base. There is no sense in all of us dragging around
huge patch sets.
> Instead we should take steps to insure that a
derivatives value added
> bits integrate closely with Ubuntu's base.
>
> My experience has been that large grandiose projects
often fail.  Rather
> then try to establish an Ubuntu wide policy.  I would
like to identify
> specific packages in Ubuntu that are well suited to
collaboration and
> start using them as test cases.
>
> 1 https://wiki.u
buntu.com/DerivativeTeam
>
> thanks
> --
> David Farning <dfarninggmail.com>

That does not sound like a bad idea to me.  Please let us
know if you need a 
hand with this stuff.  Our Free Software community does need
some healing, 
and it could be a very neat process.

-- 
~ Man-Chicken <><
(A)bort, (R)etry, (I)nfluence with large hammer.
The number of the beast - vi vi vi

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On Sat, 2007-03-03 at 00:03 -0600, Man-Chicken wrote:
> That does not sound like a bad idea to me.  Please let
us know if you need a 
> hand with this stuff.  Our Free Software community does
need some healing, 
> and it could be a very neat process.
> 
There is a Roadmap/todo list at
wiki.ubuntu.com/DerivativeTeam/Roadmap I
have tried to make it a healthy blend of.
1.  Bureaucratic stuff - I don't want to step on Ubuntu's or
Canonical's
toes.
2.  Relationship stuff - Contacting distributions that are
base on
Ubuntu and starting a conversation.
3.  Coding stuff - Extending Ubuntu's existing tools to work
better with
derivatives.

I am at a bit of a chicken or the egg situation as people
want to see
two of the above goals met before they commit to the third
one

Of the three, the most important is starting conversations
with Ubuntu
based derivatives.  The concerns of derivatives have been
showing so far
are:
1.  Meeting their users/customers needs.
2.  Bug handling/QA.
3.  Patch management.
4.  Standards.
 
Let's move this to -discuss for followup.

thanks
-- 
David Farning <dfarninggmail.com>


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