Debian Weekly News - email

Date: Sun, 26 Dec 1999 01:17:19 +0100
From: Filip Van Raemdonck <filipvr@xs4all.be>
To: "debian-devel@lists.debian.org" <debian-devel@lists.debian.org>
Subject: Quake in Germany - not illegal?

"Quake is indexed in Germany, not banned. This means it's only allowed
to sell it to adults and advertising is prohibited."

Just saw this on a web page. It's URL is (for who is interested)
http://www.inside3d.com/qip

So maybe it isn't a problem to have quake in the archive after all...

Filip

Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 23:55:01 +0100
From: Richard Braakman <dark@xs4all.nl>
To: debian-devel-announce@lists.debian.org
Subject: "No new packages" freeze starts January 2nd

January 2nd (two weeks before the freeze) will be the last day on which
packages that are "new" will be accepted for potato.  Packages uploaded
after that date will be held for woody.

This will be done to ensure that new packages aren't inserted right
before the freeze, and to separate the pre-freeze rush from the
actual freeze.  (Both are a lot of work for the same set of people).

New versions of existing packages will be processed normally, up to the
actual freeze, which will happen on the weekend of January 15th.  (The
only thing that can delay the freeze is if the archive doesn't get
the extra disk space it needs.)

Package splits, and multi-binary packages sprouting new binaries,
are in a gray area and will probably require careful thought.

In related news, I'm hosting a Grand Bug Bash Festival on the weekend
before the freeze (January 8-9).  This will be just like a bugsquash party,
but it will last longer and have a cooler name :-)
(I note that bug, bash, and festival are all Debian packages... so
someone needs to package "grand").

Richard Braakman

Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 00:26:51 +0100
From: Richard Braakman <dark@xs4all.nl>
To: debian-devel-announce@lists.debian.org
Subject: Timeline for potato

Here is a summary of the plan for releasing potato.  The dates after the
actual freeze are still "soft".  Please speak up if you have problems
with them.


January 2       "No new packages" freeze

January 8-9     Grand Bug Bash Festival

January 15-16   Potato freezes.  Woody is created.  Packages with
                release-critical bugs will be removed from potato
                (and left in woody).

(up to a week)  Potato gets cleaned up somewhat.  The remaining
                release-critical bugs are dealt with, and the effect
                of removing so many packages is evaluated.

(around Jan 22) Start of the first test cycle.  This is the last
                chance for removed packages to get back into potato.

A "Test Cycle" consists of these phases, in order:

  2-3 days      Preparation

                Base disks and CD images are prepared.  No changes are
                made to the archive except the ones that are necessary
                for this.

  10-14 days    Testing

                The distribution is tested.  Fixes are prepared for
                bugs that are found, but no changes at all are made
                to potato during this phase.

                The Testing phase may be cut short by the release manager
                if something is so badly wrong that testing is useless
                until changes are made.

  2-3 days      Evaluation

                The state of potato is evaluated, particularly the bugs
                that were found during the Testing phase.  If the current
                state of the distribution is acceptable, then potato is
                released AS IS, and the Test Cycles end.

                Otherwise, available fixes are installed, and extra time
                will be allocated to fix the remaining bugs, if necessary.
                Then a new Test Cycle starts.

I hope that two Test Cycles will be enough; that will put the release near
the end of February.

Thanks,

Richard Braakman

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This issue of Debian Weekly News was edited by Joey Hess.