From: Bdale Garbee Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2020 03:33:33 +0000 (-0500) Subject: Merge branch 'master' of ssh://git.gag.com/scm/git/web/gag.com X-Git-Url: https://git.gag.com/?p=web%2Fgag.com;a=commitdiff_plain;h=35582336b52662b07a4805f78c18e4d2bc5b10d2;hp=637e5bbaf42115d6a492cfb023198304a2f12223 Merge branch 'master' of ssh://git.gag.com/scm/git/web/gag.com --- diff --git a/bdale/blog/posts/Shifting_Emphasis.mdwn b/bdale/blog/posts/Shifting_Emphasis.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0e09182 --- /dev/null +++ b/bdale/blog/posts/Shifting_Emphasis.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +[[!tag tags/debian]] +I joined the +[Debian](https://debian.org) project in late 1994, well before the first +stable release was issued, and have been involved in various ways continuously +ever since. Over the years, I adopted a number of packages that are, or at +least were at one time, fundamental to the distribution. + +But, not surprisingly, my interests have shifted over time. In the more than +quarter century I've contributed to Debian, I've adopted existing packages +that needed attention, packaged new software I wanted to use that wasn't yet +in Debian, offered packages up for others to adopt, and even sometimes +requested the removal of packages that became obsolete or replaced by +something better. That all felt completely healthy. + +But over the last couple weeks, I realized I'm still "responsible" for some +packages I'd had for a very long time, that generally work well but over time +have accumulated bugs in functionality I just don't use, and frankly haven't +been able to find the motivation to chase down. As one example, I just +noticed that I first uploaded the gzip package 25 years ago today, on +2 December 1995. And while the package works fine for me and most other +folks, there are 30 outstanding bugs and 3 forwarded bugs that I just can't +muster up any energy to address. + +So, I just added gzip to a short list of packages I've offered up for +adoption recently. I'm pleased that tar already has a new maintainer, and +hope that both sudo and gzip will get more attention soon. + +It's not that I'm less interested in Debian. I've just been busy recently +packaging up more software I use or want to use in designing high +power model +rockets and the solid propellant motors I fly in them, and would rather spend +the time I have available for Debian maintaining those packages and all their +various build dependencies than continuing to be responsible for core +packages in the distribution that "work fine for me" but could use attention. + +I'm writing about this partly to mark the passing of more than a quarter +century as a package maintainer for Debian, partly to encourage other Debian +package maintainers with the right skills and motivation to consider adopting +some of the packages I'm giving up, and finally to encourage other long-time +participants in Debian to spend a little time evaluating their own package +lists in a similar way. +