kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 07/21/2010 04:31 PM, Dick Hollenbeck wrote:
> Are people happy with launchpad?
>
> 10 = extremely happy
> :
> :
> 1 = extremely dissatisfied
>    


Thanks to those that responded.  I am pleased that everyone is mostly 
pleased.  This gives me political cover to now offer my own opinion.

Here are my ratings:


Bugtracker:  3

Patch handling:  1

Wiki or generic webpage infrastructure: 1

Bzr: 8  (I like "bzr qlog")

Maillist: 7

Launchpad.net overall: 3


The world of open source hosting has a long way to go in my opinion.


My biggest surprise, unexpected disappointment and complaint with 
launchpad is the patch handling.  This is compounded by the fact that it 
was a (almost the) primary motivator for the move TO launchpad, IMO.


Let me summarize my frustration and ask for some help on a path forward:


There are two pathways into the "Active Reviews" 
(https://code.launchpad.net/kicad/+activereviews) list, which is the so 
called patch handler:


1) Push a modified branch to launchpad, "Propose" a merge request at the 
launchpad.net website,
https://code.launchpad.net/~kicad-testing-committers/kicad/testing/+register-merge


2) Locally, $ bzr send, and send the "merge bundle" as an attachment to 
a signed email.



The problem with 1) is that it requires too much learning for a "drive 
by patch submitter" person.  The learning investment is too high for 
somebody that would submit about 5 patches per year or less.  We will 
still end up with patches on the mailing list.


The problem with 2) is that the email parser at launchpad.net will not 
handle any variations other than some undocumented concoction of signed 
main mail body but with an unsigned bundle attachment.  I am unable to 
get this to work after 3 days trying.  Help on irc #launchpad usually 
comes back saying "it works in the general case", wait for so and so to 
help you.  So and so comes later and says the same thing.  I have worn 
out my political capital there.  They know I am extremely unhappy and 
have told me they don't care if I were to simply go away, along with the 
whole Kicad project.


So, what is a merge bundle?  A merge bundle is basically a patch 
generated by BZR, with special meta data at the end which holds the name 
of the destination branch, submitter, author, etc.


And why is using a signed email the only way to submit a merge bundle?  
Who the hell knows.

I ask you to help me get the launchpad developers to accept a merge 
bundle through a web form.

There is no reason that if a merge bundle is good enough input in 
general, that a merge bundle coming in through another secure pathway is 
not also acceptable.

I am asking for help in getting some action going on it by the 
developers through https://answers.launchpad.net/launchpad

I have spent about as much time on it as any 5 reasonable people would 
have by now.


If the patch handling were usable, then my launchpad.net score would go 
to a 6 overall.


Thanks,

Dick