FAQ

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[[Include(MOTU/Headers/Menu)]] <<Include(MOTU/Headers/Menu)>>
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Here is a list of questions that are frequently asked by new contributors on #ubuntu-motu and the ubuntu-motu and ubuntu-motu-mentors mailing lists. If you don't find an answer to your question here, please add it along with the answer when you find out. Here is a list of questions that are frequently asked by new contributors on #ubuntu-motu and the ubuntu-motu mailing list. If you don't find an answer to your question here, please add it along with the answer when you find out.
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'''Contents'''[[BR]][[TableOfContents]] '''This page contains MOTU specific frequently asked questions. Technical content that used to be on this page, has moved to [[UbuntuDevelopment/FAQ]], which is the general place for FAQ regarding Packaging and Ubuntu Development.'''

<<TableOfContents>>

== What is MOTU and What does it do? ==

This is the team which takes care of universe and Multiverse and universe components in ubuntu
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Be sure to check out these pages as well:
 * [[UbuntuDevelopment]]
 * [[UbuntuDevelopment/FAQ]]
 * [[PackagingGuide]]
 * [[PackagingGuide/Lists/DocumentationResources]]
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Take a look at [wiki:MOTU/Contributing MOTU/Contributing], [https://help.ubuntu.com/6.10/ubuntu/packagingguide/C/index.html the Packaging Guide] and generally acquaint yourself with the documentation under [wiki:MOTU MOTU]. Take a look at [[MOTU/Contributing|MOTU/Contributing]] and the more concise overview at [[MOTU/GettingStarted]].
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=== How do I get a mentor? === === How do I get help and pointers around in Ubuntu Development processes? ===
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Read the information at [wiki:MOTU/Mentoring/Contributor MOTU/Mentoring/Contributor]. There are many ways to get help and pointers in ubuntu development
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=== I want to maintain a package === For pointers or a introduction into the process, Please get in touch with the DeveloperAdvisoryTeam in ubuntu.
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Here's what it means if a package has your name and mail address in the `Maintainer:` field in `debian/control`:
 * You will take care of the package's bugs. It makes sense if you are bug contact for that package in Launchpad.
 * You will liaise with upstream.
  * You track what's going on upstream.
  * You will try to build a good communication to the upstream developers.
 * You will find out how to fix bugs appropriately. Uploading new upstream versions is just not enough. (Think of fixes in stable releases.)
Or if you want some human interaction in real time please catch us on ''#ubuntu-motu'' on ''irc.freenode.net''
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=== How do I get my changed package into Universe/Multiverse? === There are a lot of sessions that go on on Ubuntu development in the UbuntuDeveloperWeek on ''#ubuntu-classroom''
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Via the SponsorshipProcess Please feel free to pitch in for any of those sessions which interests you in the UbuntuDeveloperWeek series :)
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''NOTE : If it's important enough to be shipped in the stable distro, read StableReleaseUpdates.'' === Do I need to know a lot of programming languages to become a MOTU? ===
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=== Can <package> be upgraded? === Much more important than having a lot of progamming experience is
 * being a good team player
 * learning by reading documentation, trying things out and not being afraid to ask questions
 * being highly motivated
 * having a knack for trying to make things work
 * having some detective skills
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If you want to file a request to get <package> upgraded to a new version, please file a bug in Launchpad an tag it as `upgrade`. == How MOTU works ==
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If we're currently in UpstreamVersionFreeze (for `gutsy`, find out at GutsyReleaseSchedule), you need to follow [:FreezeExceptionProcess#head-9c768217b322f8567d24d91647eaf0a256a73046:this procedure]. There are different processes in ubuntu development such as [[https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuDevelopment/Merging|Merge]], StableReleaseUpdates, [[https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/HowToFix|Bug Fixing]] and so on

A good starting point would be: [[https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/GettingStarted|MOTU/GettingStarted]]

=== Who resolves conflict? Who can I talk to if I experience problems in the MOTU team? ===

<<Include(MOTU/Council/Disclaimer)>>

Talk to one of the members of the [[DeveloperMembershipBoard]]. Part of their goal is to keep the atmosphere in the team productive and calm.
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== Packaging ==
=== What version number should my package have? ===

Ubuntu and Debian have slightly different package versioning schemes, for an explanation see https://help.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/packagingguide/C/basic-scratch.html#id2577623

=== Should my package have -0ubuntu1 appended to the end of the version number? ===

If the package is being newly packaged for Ubuntu and hasn't come from Debian then the Debian revision number should be 0 and the Ubuntu revision should be 1, so in that situation it would be -0ubuntu1. See the previous question for details.

=== How can I make multiple pbuilders? How can I make a pbuilder for <release name>? ===

You can read about setting up pbuilder (a system to easily build packages in a clean chroot environment) at http://wiki.ubuntu.com/PbuilderHowto or you can use these [http://revu.tauware.de/~laserjock/ scripts] to automate the process (just name the script pbuilder-releasename).

=== What options do I need for debuild to make a source package including tar.gz? ===

 * `debuild -S -sa`

=== Upstream already provided a debian-dir in the orig.tar.gz, what now? ===
 * Always ask upstream kindly to remove it.
 * At your option (if you need to remove a file from the upstream debian-dir you will need to remove the upstream debian-dir from orig.tar.gz):
   * Remove it from the tarball, renaming the tarball while doing so. Example: foo_0.2.orig.tar.gz would then be foo_0.2repacked1.orig.tar.gz.
   * Just modify the package as usual.

=== I need to fix a bug in the upstream provided source, modify the source or add a patch? ===

 * If the package already has a packaging system, make a patch and add it.
 * If the package does not have a packaging system and the patch is small, you can modify the source. It is an Ubuntu goal to keep diffs with Debian small and so if modifying the source makes a smaller diff than adding a patch system you should generally modify the source.
 * If your package uses cdbs, you ought to consider using simple-patchsys and use cdbs-edit-patch to make your patch in any case.
 * See ["PackagingGuide/PatchSystems"] for more information on patching

=== What does XSBC-Original-Maintainer mean? ===

When a package is changed in Ubuntu, the Maintainer field (in debian/control) is changed to indicate the Ubuntu team responsible for the Ubuntu specific changes (often "Ubuntu MOTU Developers <ubuntu-motu@lists.ubuntu.com>" for universe packages). In order to ensure appropriate credit for the packaging work, the original maintainer is preserved in a new field: XSBC-Original-Maintainer. This is a user-defined field (X) which is included in the .dsc file for the source package (S), the .deb file for the binary package (B), and the .changes file (C).

When the Maintainer field is adjusted, the value of XSBC-Original-Maintainer should exactly match the previous value of Maintainer.

== Licensing ==

=== Which license should I release the packaging under? ===

Ideally, under the closest possible license to that of the original software. "Packaging" includes patches made by the packager, and thus is considered a derivative work. Using the same license means that the patches can be easily incorporated upstream.

=== Which GPL/LGPL versions are compatible with each other? ===

Generally, as a rule of thumb, "GPLvX and above" is compatible with GPLvX, GPLvX+1, "GPLvX+1 and above" etc., but the aggregate will be subject to their common subset: for example, "GPLv2 and above" code aggregated with GPLv2 (GPLv3) software can only be distributed under GPLv2 (GPLv3, respectively).

LGPL libraries can be ''linked'' with just about anything, but if LGPL code is to be ''incorporated'' into a GPL work, it will have to be converted to the corresponding GPL version (LGPLv2.1 to GPLv2, LGPLv3 to GPLv3).

The FSF has a compatibility table at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#AllCompatibility.
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Back to '''[:MOTU]'''.[[BR]][[BR]]
[:
CategoryMOTU]
Back to '''[[MOTU]]'''.<<BR>><<BR>>
[[CategoryMOTU]]

Home

Getting Started
Get started here!

Teams

FAQ

Events

TODO

Contact

Next MOTU Meeting (details)

Thursday, December 6th 2012, 16:00 UTC

Next Packaging Training Session (details)

TBD

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of questions that are frequently asked by new contributors on #ubuntu-motu and the ubuntu-motu mailing list. If you don't find an answer to your question here, please add it along with the answer when you find out.

This page contains MOTU specific frequently asked questions. Technical content that used to be on this page, has moved to UbuntuDevelopment/FAQ, which is the general place for FAQ regarding Packaging and Ubuntu Development.

What is MOTU and What does it do?

This is the team which takes care of universe and Multiverse and universe components in ubuntu

Starting Points

Be sure to check out these pages as well:

I want to help out Ubuntu MOTU and learn packaging, where do I start?

Take a look at MOTU/Contributing and the more concise overview at MOTU/GettingStarted.

How do I get help and pointers around in Ubuntu Development processes?

There are many ways to get help and pointers in ubuntu development

For pointers or a introduction into the process, Please get in touch with the DeveloperAdvisoryTeam in ubuntu.

Or if you want some human interaction in real time please catch us on #ubuntu-motu on irc.freenode.net

There are a lot of sessions that go on on Ubuntu development in the UbuntuDeveloperWeek on #ubuntu-classroom

Please feel free to pitch in for any of those sessions which interests you in the UbuntuDeveloperWeek series Smile :)

Do I need to know a lot of programming languages to become a MOTU?

Much more important than having a lot of progamming experience is

  • being a good team player
  • learning by reading documentation, trying things out and not being afraid to ask questions
  • being highly motivated
  • having a knack for trying to make things work
  • having some detective skills

How MOTU works

There are different processes in ubuntu development such as Merge, StableReleaseUpdates, Bug Fixing and so on

A good starting point would be: MOTU/GettingStarted

Who resolves conflict? Who can I talk to if I experience problems in the MOTU team?

The MOTU Council is not operative at the moment. All its responsibilities have been assumed by:

Talk to one of the members of the DeveloperMembershipBoard. Part of their goal is to keep the atmosphere in the team productive and calm.


Back to MOTU.

CategoryMOTU

MOTU/FAQ (last edited 2022-11-23 15:53:53 by tartley)