There are several packages in Debian without a associated git +repository with the packaging history. This is unfortunate and it +would be nice if more of these would do so. Quote a lot of these are +without a maintainer, ie listed as maintained by the +'Debian +QA Group' place holder. In fact, 438 packages have this property +according to UDD (SELECT source FROM sources WHERE release = 'sid' +AND (vcs_url ilike '%anonscm.debian.org%' OR vcs_browser ilike +'%anonscm.debian.org%' or vcs_url IS NULL OR vcs_browser IS NULL) AND +maintainer ilike '%packages@qa.debian.org%';). Such packages can +be updated without much coordination by any Debian developer, as they +are considered orphaned.
+ +To try to improve the situation and reduce the number of packages +without associated git repository, I started a few days ago to search +out candiates and provide them with a git repository under the +'debian' collaborative Salsa project. I started with the packages +pointing to obsolete Alioth git repositories, and am now working my +way across the ones completely without git references. In addition to +updating the Vcs-* debian/control fields, I try to update +Standards-Version, debhelper compat level, simplify d/rules, switch to +Rules-Requires-Root: no and fix lintian issues reported. I only +implement those that are trivial to fix, to avoid spending too much +time on each orphaned package. So far my experience is that it take +aproximately 20 minutes to convert a package without any git +references, and a lot more for packages with existing git repositories +incompatible with git-buildpackages.
+ +So far I have converted 10 packages, and I will keep going until I +run out of steam. As should be clear from the numbers, there is +enough packages remaining for more people to do the same without +stepping on each others toes. I find it useful to start by searching +for a git repo already on salsa, as I find that some times a git repo +has already been created, but no new version is uploaded to Debian +yet. In those cases I start with the existing git repository. I +convert to the git-buildpackage+pristine-tar workflow, and ensure a +debian/gbp.conf file with "pristine-tar=True" is added early, to avoid +uploading a orig.tar.gz with the wrong checksum by mistake. Did that +three times in the begin before I remembered my mistake.
+ +So, if you are a Debian Developer and got some spare time, perhaps +considering migrating some orphaned packages to git?
+ +As usual, if you use Bitcoin and want to show your support of my +activities, please send Bitcoin donations to my address +15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b.
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