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#use wml::debian::weeklynews::header PUBDATE="2003-09-30" SUMMARY="Packaging, FDL discussion, Python, ITP, Autotools, Source"
# $Id$
<p>Welcome to this year's 39th issue of DWN, the weekly newsletter for the
Debian community. Joey attended the "Joey meets Joey" session also known as Oldenburg
Linux Developers <a href="http://oldenburger.linuxtage.de/Oldenburg2003/">\
meeting</a> last weekend where both finally met. The meeting was quite <a
href="http://oldenburger.linuxtage.de/Oldenburg2003/success.html">successful</a>,
both in terms of Debian as well as for the Linux kernel. A longer report on
the Debian part will probably be sent to the list later.</p>
<p><strong>Lessons in Packaging Linux Applications.</strong> Billy Biggs and
Doug Bell wrote about their <a
href="http://freshmeat.net/articles/view/992/">experiences</a> in packaging <a
href="http://tvtime.sourceforge.net/">tvtime</a> for many distributions,
including communication between packagers and developers, dependency
problems, dealing with bugs, and the Debian menu system. They conclude that
coordination between packagers from different distributions could reduce work
for the packagers and reduce the number of distribution-specific bugs.</p>
<p><strong>Committee for FSF-Debian Discussion.</strong> Bruce Perens <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal-0309/msg01309.html">organised</a>
people from the <a href="http://www.fsf.org">Free Software Foundation</a>
(FSF) and Debian to discuss issues revolving around the GNU <a
href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html">Free Documentation License</a> (FDL).
Eben Moglen and Henri Poole (from the FSF), and Benj. Mako Hill (from Debian)
will serve on the committee. Bruce is seeking another Debian representative
with a constructive and dispassionate attitude. The committee will bring the
results of their discussion back to their respective organisations for
consideration.</p>
<p><strong>Python Transition Problems.</strong> Colin Watson <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-release-0309/msg00057.html">summarised</a>
the transition problems that are currently blocking Python 2.3 from entering
testing. It may be slightly incomplete, though. He listed six packages that
contain bugs which prevent them from entering testing. The
<code>python-gnome</code> package also suffers from various dependency problems.</p>
<p><strong>Timeout of ITP bugs.</strong> Søren Boll Overgaard <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0309/msg01447.html">wondered</a>
how long an ITP (Intent to Package) should be allowed to exist without an
uploaded package until it times out. In particular he was <a
href="http://bugs.debian.org/196504">looking</a> at the packaging notification
for <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/projects/thunderbird/">thunderbird</a>.
Anthony Towns <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0309/msg01471.html">explained</a>
that ITPs should be considered as advisory locks. If one doesn't get
responses from the person who wanted to work on the package, one can just
maintain the package on his own.</p>
<p><strong>Converting configure Scripts.</strong> Richard Atterer <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0309/msg01483.html">wondered</a>
how he is supposed to regenerate all the libtool and auto* files after fixing
some bugs. Martin Quinson <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0309/msg01490.html">described</a>
in detail how to proceed and provided a <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0309/msg01522.html">script</a> to
build the autotools scripts.</p>
<p><strong>Position Statement on the GNU FDL.</strong> After Branden Robinson
<a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal-0309/msg01255.html">announced</a>
that he had updated his <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html">Free
Documentation License</a> (FDL) <a
href="http://people.debian.org/~branden/fdl/">webpage</a>, Manoj Srivastava
started crafting a <a
href="http://people.debian.org/~srivasta/Position_Statement.xhtml">position
statement</a>. He believes that a position statement should be issued under
the Debian <a href="$(HOME)/devel/constitution">constitution</a> section 4.1.5. Manoj's page includes an annotated
FDL, details of practical problems with the FDL, results from Branden's <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal-0308/msg01031.html">FDL
survey</a>, and related links.</p>
<p><strong>Pristine Source Archives.</strong> Matthias Urlichs <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-policy-0309/msg00109.html">noticed</a>
that many packages seem to contain <code>.orig.tar.gz</code> files which may
not be directly related to the files actually available from
upstream. Manoj Srivastava <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-policy-0309/msg00110.html">explained</a>
that pristine sources are already desired, but not required. There are
enough strange upstream packaging practices that Debian cannot mandate
pristine sources.</p>
<p><strong>Security Updates.</strong> You know the drill. Please make sure
that you update your systems if you have any of these packages installed.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="$(HOME)/security/2003/dsa-390">marbles</a> --
Buffer overflow.
<li><a href="$(HOME)/security/2003/dsa-391">freesweep</a> --
Buffer overflow.
<li><a href="$(HOME)/security/2003/dsa-392">webfs</a> --
Buffer overflows, file and directory exposure.
</ul>
<p><strong>New or Noteworthy Packages.</strong> The following packages were
added to the unstable Debian archive recently or contain important updates.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/admin/cpu">cpu</a>
-- Console based LDAP user management tool.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/net/firedns">firedns</a>
-- Runtime binaries for firedns, an asynchronous DNS resolver library.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/utils/imms">imms</a>
-- Unobtrusive, automatic, and learning XMMS playlist manager.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/x11/kbarcode">kbarcode</a>
-- A KDE Barcode Creation And Printing Application.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/gnome/magicdev">magicdev</a>
-- A GNOME daemon for automatically mounting/playing CDs.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/editors/mlview">mlview</a>
-- XML editor for GNOME environment.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/admin/pupa">pupa</a>
-- The next generation of GNU GRUB.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/python/pyro">pyro</a>
-- Distributed object system for Python.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/gnome/sound-juicer">sound-juicer</a>
-- GNOME 2 CD Ripper.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/x11/sumika">sumika</a>
-- Management utility for dictionaries for input methods.
</ul>
<p><strong>Orphaned Packages.</strong> 1 package was orphaned this week and
requires a new maintainer. This makes a total of 195 orphaned packages. Many
thanks to the previous maintainer who contributed to the Free Software
community. Please see the <a href="$(HOME)/devel/wnpp/">WNPP pages</a> for
the full list, and please add a note to the bug report and retitle it to ITA:
if you plan to take over a package.</p>
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/web/squidtaild">squidtaild</a>
-- Squid log monitoring program.
(<a href="http://bugs.debian.org/213402">Bug#213402</a>)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Want to continue reading DWN?</strong> Please help us create this
newsletter. We still need more volunteer writers who watch the Debian
community and report about what is going on. Please see the <a
href="$(HOME)/News/weekly/contributing">contributing page</a> to find out how
to help. We're looking forward to receiving your mail at <a
href="mailto:dwn@debian.org">dwn@debian.org</a>.</p>
#use wml::debian::weeklynews::footer editor="Matt Black, Martin 'Joey' Schulze"
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