Re: Upcoming freeze in preparation for pkgsrc-2014Q1 branch

[Alistair Crooks <agc%pkgsrc.org@localhost>]

On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 07:22:10PM +0900, Izumi Tsutsui wrote:
> agc@ wrote:
> 
> > During the freeze, no new packages, please, and no changes to the
> > pkgsrc infrastructure.  pkgsrc infrastructure means any file under
> > pkgsrc/mk, and any package in the pkgtools category.
> > 
> > Security fixes are allowed without prior approval (for obvious
> > reasons), but, as a courtesy, please let people know on our mailing
> > lists what you are doing.
> > 
> > If anything is unclear, if you are in any doubt, or are concerned that
> > anything you do might impact someone else's work, or is a wide-ranging
> > or important change (important enough to add during a freeze), please
> > get approval in advance from a member of the pkgsrc PMC - gdt, wiz,
> > agc or schmonz.
> 
> During this freeze, leaf package updates also require prior approval,
> right?

Thanks for your mail, but I don't really follow.

Previously, there's been a call (from yourself, really) for everything
to be prescribed up front, and others have said that isn't appropriate
- there are too many corner cases, and, besides, we trust our
developers to make the right choices knowing the goals and timescales
for the branch, based on their skill sets, experience, intuition,
intelligence; if all else fails, then to ask for advice or guidance.

Based on over 10 years of pkgsrc quarterly releases (yes, that
surprised me, too) in which we've had similar announcements, and goals
which do not change, I don't think we're going to suddenly change
direction and impose a rigid hierarchy of decision-making which would
stifle everyone, annoy a lot more, and tie up a number of people in
needless box-ticking.  It's not really productive for anyone to do that.

But I don't want to be unduly insensitive or insulting, and neither do
I want to bring in an air of distrust or worse, so I think we need to
find a way forward on common ground.  I'd really like to take this
discussion off-list so that we can discuss it further - hopefully that
will be acceptable to you.

Best wishes,
Alistair