[cmake-developers] CMake bug tracker discussion

[Eric Noulard]

2010/12/9 David Cole <david.cole at kitware.com>:
> Hello CMake users and devs,
>
> (And now for something completely different...)
>
> Controversial questions:
>
> - Should we eliminate the bug tracker entirely and just do all
> discussion and patches on the mailing list? (Why have two sources of
> information...?)
>
> - Or, alternatively, should we eliminate the bulk of mailing list
> traffic, and insist on issues in the bug tracker being the main
> conversational forum for the whole community?

I would personally vote for keeping both.

I'd like to keep ML bug related activities for:
    1) Having preliminary discussion like
         Is this a bug or not?
         If it is a feature request is it worth a formal request ...?

    2) Public poll directed to people who seldom browse the bug tracker.

Then use the tracker:

     1) When we are sure (with or without discussion) that the issue
         is a bug or a feature request.

     2) Because one NEEDS to keep track of changes, bug fixes etc...

So my opinion is that BOTH are mandatory, including the usage
of the ML for bug handling but may be some "common usage rules may be
advertised".

Now I agree that may be the systematic handling of bugs filed into the tracker
has to be improved but I think it already started.

As external free-time contributor to CMake I was granted commit right when
CMake was using CVS, it's even more easy now with git since
I can autonomously commit patches to next branch
(see CMake workflow http://www.cmake.org/Wiki/CMake/Git)
which is regularly (once a week) merged to master by Kitware.

I do get (I don't remember since when) a copy of each new bug entered in the
tracker so that I can (autonomously) assign those bugs to myself if do think
I can handle it.

If I cannot (not enough time or not my expertise zone) but I'm interested in the
bug I do add myself to the monitor list and may add some personal
comments to the bug report.

So to comment to Pau remark:
> Maybe you could start by having some people from outside of Kitware
> (apart from Alex ;-) ) help with triaging bugs and commit patches and
> not-too-complex features.

I'll try to do that myself but I'm far away from Alex efficiency :-]

May be helping the bug triage would be nice, may be some people
may search the bug tracker  for "unassigned" and "oldish" bugs
and send some list of such bugs from time to time on the
cmake-developer ML?

I know that some Kitware people do that (searching the Bug Tracker)
from time to time but I do not know if it is systematic nor periodic :-)

May be opening a Wiki page with the list of CMake developers (Kitware
and outsiders)
with their domain of CMake expertise may help "triage volunteer" to contact them
about the "unassigned" and "oldish" bug?


-- 
Erk
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