kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 7/28/2010 6:03 AM, Dick Hollenbeck wrote:
> 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.

Dick,

Apparently I have run into some of the problems you did with option 2
attempting to send a test merge request.  I am currently waiting for a reply
for error I got back from Launchpad so I'll continue to attempt to make some
progress once I get a response.  In any event, you are correct that it is a
PITA to get your mail client (in my case Thunderbird) setup and all of the GPG
key stuff set up just to submit a merge request.  I was curious how other
Launchpad projects were handling this issue.  I checked about 5 or 6 random
projects and could not find a single instance of a merge request that was not
submitted against a public branch pushed to Launchpad (option 1).  Maybe there
is a reason no one uses option 2.

> 
> 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 don't understand why there isn't already a web interface to support merge
requests in this manner.  Once you are logged into Launchpad, all of you
changes go through https so I don't see an issue.  It would still be nice to be
able to submit merge requests directly from you mail client.  Firing up a
browser and logging in to submit a merge request are extra steps that can be
avoided.  I agree that for folks who submit simple infrequent patches should
not have to go through the complication of options 1 and 2.

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

Here is the link to the question I had from the error response from launchpad:

https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/launchpad-code/+question/119254

I will continue to follow up when I get an answer and/or a solution.  If the
answer and/or solution I get is unsatisfactory, I will submit a request to add
a form to the merge request page for uploading merge bundles.

Wayne

> 
> 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
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers
> Post to     : kicad-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers
> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
>