Re: 3.4 CDs

[Peter Fairbrother <zenadsl6186@zen.co.uk>]

Theo de Raadt wrote:

> It looks like the 3.4 CDs will ship with a set of packages on that
> fail to have correct dependencies.
> 
> This is because the ports people are responsible for supplying that
> list for me to put on packages.  A user should be able to do
> 
> pkg_add *
> 
> from the CD directory, and have it work correctly.  All packages
> should install, all dependencies should work, it should all be
> perfectly clean and beautiful.
> 
> However, normally getting this list of packages (different for each
> architecture, you should note) from the ports people is a total pain
> in the ass.  One person (Peter) normally works very hard to make this
> list, and then the other ports people completely sit around doing
> nothing (thumbs up asses, I suspect) and eventually a bunch of
> non-ports people have to test these lists and then find out that there
> are errors in the lists, and then we must work with Peter to get it
> fixed.
> 
> This has been going on for release after release.
> 
> Peter normally also works for WEEKS to find license errors in the
> ports tree, so that we do not accidentally put a badly licenced file
> on the CD.  Largely, noone else helps.
> 
> This is because the ports people do not CARE whether our CDs contain
> good stuff.
> 
> I want you all to think carefully next time you install packages.  The
> same people who are making these packages, largely do not care that
> our CDs contain the right packages.  They do not CARE that the CD
> experience is good for users.  How can you trust the packages are
> correct?
> 
> This has been going on for release after release.
> 
> There is only one ports developer who has my respect for his work in
> the ports tree, and it is Peter Valchev.
> 
> The rest of those people are irresponsible fiddlers, making "really
> important" changes in the ports infrastructure for the active part of
> the development cycle, and then utterly fucking the dog when it
> finally comes time ship, thereby causing stress for us who are trying
> to make high quality CDs.
> 
> This time, however, I've had enough.  I must apologize to the users
> for not accepting the stress being thrown my way, and I am saying
> enough is enough, and 3.4 will ship the packages listed in the files
> that Peter has given us.  Even if they contain errors.  And we know
> that at least one of them has errors.  But there is no more time, and
> for those of us at "Release Central", there is a life to live.
> 
> As to the ports developers, it is time they wake up to the fact that
> releases are WHAT MOST OF OUR USERS USE, and adjust their methods to
> make RELEASES HIGH QUALITY.
> 
> And they will wake up to this starting November 1 when the users start
> complaining.

2 points - first, how long is your master - receiving product timeline? I
usually get my pressed CD's back in less than a week from master delivery,
though it takes longer at the end of the year for some reason, as everyone
is busy. Doing Christmas CD's, or that's the excuse I've heard.

Second, you have too many releases. It's no wonder that the ports people
can't be bothered. Two releases per year is too many.

If you need two releases for financial reasons, might it not be better to
make OpenBSD a bit more user-friendly instead, and get more users?

-- 
Peter Fairbrother