Re: 3.4 CDs [OT]

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

[Very OT]

I cc'd the email below to Theo, and got this:

.............
Trend SMEX Content Filter has detected sensitive content.

Place = Theo de Raadt; misc@cvs.openbsd.org; ;
Sender = Peter Fairbrother
Subject = Re: 3.4 CDs
Delivery Time = September 16, 2003 (Tuesday) 00:48:35
Policy = Language
Action on this mail = Quarantine message
.............

It wasn't my language. So Theo can't receive his own email? He's too rude
for his own email censor? Or does he just get a lot of email with bad
language? Enquiring minds want to know...


-- 
Peter Fairbrother





Peter Fairbrother wrote:

> 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?