== Dev Week -- Getting your app into Ubuntu (Post-release) -- stgraber -- Thu, Mar 3rd, 2011 == {{{#!irc [19:01] Hey everyone ! [19:02] * stgraber hopes the bot won't die and freenode isn't as laggy as it was for the previous session ... [19:03] ok, so let's start [19:03] Hi everyone, I'm Stéphane Graber, an Application Review Board member. [19:03] In this session, I plan on quickly explaining what the ARB does and how you can get your app on extras.ubuntu.com [19:03] Please feel free to ask any question in #ubuntu-classroom-chat, prefixing them with "QUESTION: " so the bot gets them. [19:04] first a quick intro on what the ARB does [19:04] The Application Review Board is responsible on reviewing applications to be included in extras.ubuntu.com. [19:04] These apps are extra application that are usually quite small and simple and weren't present in the archive at the time of the release. [19:05] This process is mostly meant for upstream developers of a small app who wants it available in Ubuntu. [19:05] Apps must be Open Source and available under an OSI approved license. [19:05] These extra apps aren't supported or maintained by the Ubuntu community, it's the application author's responsability to take care of bug fixes and security updates. [19:06] If for some reason this doesn't happen, the app will be removed from the repository. [19:07] For new version of a package that already existed in the archive at the time of the release, the backport process should be used instead. [19:07] An ARB member is assigned to each proposed app and will review it and comment on Launchpad [19:07] When they are confident the app is in a good shape, it'll be submitted for vote at our next IRC meeting (every two weeks). [19:07] So far for maverick, we only have one app on extras.ubuntu.com, suspended-sentence by tumbleweed [19:08] we have another one that got approved and will be in extras.ubuntu.com as soon as the screenshot branch will be processed by Canonical IS [19:08] this one being a news rss ticker [19:08] any question so far ? [19:10] ok, seems like there's none :) [19:10] so I'll now quickly go through the process of getting a new app on extras.ubuntu.com [19:11] First thing if you want to get your app in the extra repository is to make sure it meets our criteria. [19:11] It needs to be a standalone app, run as the user, not ship with any kind of daemon and can't depend on anything that's in extra. [19:11] You can't submit an app that was already in the distro at release time, even if it's a new major version. [19:12] The basic process is: [19:12] 1) Release your app and learn how to package it [19:13] 2) Review https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AppReviews [19:13] 3) Update the packaging accordingly and upload your app to your PPA [19:14] 4) File a bug at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-app-review-board/ [19:14] 5) Wait for an ARB member to comment in the bug [19:14] 6) Fix anything that needs to be fixed, updating the version in your PPA === cmagina-lunch is now known as cmagina [19:15] 7) When the ARB member is happy with your packaging, the app will be sumitted for vote at our next meeting (you don't necessarily need to be present) [19:15] 8) If it gets approved, an ARB member will ask for the screenshot branch to be merged and published, as soon as it's done (can take a while), your package will be uploaded [19:16] and that's about it [19:16] so far the most issues we got were with getting everything to stay in /opt except the .desktop files [19:17] also, the 8th step can take quite a while (up to a month) due to the process not being automated yet, we hope to have that improved quite soon [19:18] fisch246 asked: if i was releasing a game in the extras repo, that was written in python 3.1, would that mean i couldn't ship it with python 3.1? [19:19] if python 3.1 doesn't exist in the target release and you need it for your app then indeed you won't be able to get it into extra [19:19] mhall119 asked: will packages in extra be automatically rolled into universe (or multiverse) for the next release? [19:20] no, at least not automatically [19:20] we still strongly recommend whoever uploaded something to extras to get the package in universe for the next release or even more, into Debian and synced to Ubuntu [19:21] packages in extras won't be copied to the next release either === ghostcube_ is now known as ghostcube [19:21] so it's really a good idea to get them into universe so you don't have to go through the ARB process again [19:22] and so your app eventually gets into Debian and can benefit from team maintenance, the bug tracking system and more generally a larger user base [19:22] titeuf_87_ asked: when a new version of Ubuntu gets released, will all the apps need to be approved again, or that's not needed anymore? [19:23] all the post-release apps will need to be reviewed again, though hopefully they'll have been pushed to universe by then and won't need to go through the post-release process again [19:23] mhall119 asked: So to stay in extra, you need to re-apply on each Ubuntu version? [19:23] that's correct, though we definitely don't recommend doing that ;) [19:24] barcc1 asked: Is it possible to get plugins (e.g. for gedit) in extra? [19:25] good question, we didn't get any plugin in our queue yet, but I wouldn't think that'd work [19:25] as the plugin would need to be in /opt and it's not likely any application like gedit would look in there for plugins [19:26] also, the current criteria says "executable applications" which probably wouldn't apply to plugins [19:26] but there was discussion of being able to ship unity places or similar plugins in the extras repository with unity being updated to look in /opt (not sure if that's going to happen any time soon though) === croppa_ is now known as croppa [19:29] the current queue for post-release packages is available here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-app-review-board/+bugs === apachelogger_ is now known as apachelogger [19:30] and most of the documentation on how to get an app in the repository is here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AppReviews [19:30] any other question ? [19:31] seidos asked: how is it checked that an app is secure? [19:32] we usually do a full code review, if the code is considered too complex, we'll decline the app [19:32] we also make sure the app won't listen on the network and won't start a daemon [19:33] I also tend to run the app in a sandbox (using arkose) to check what the app reads/writes on the disk as well as network access [19:34] seidos asked: why must "question:" be capitalized? [19:34] as I got your question twice, I don't think the bot is case sensitive ;) [19:34] seidos asked: do you work for ubuntu or canonical? [19:35] I work on Ubuntu and Edubuntu for Revolution Linux in Sherbrooke, QC [19:35] seidos asked: which is the most secure version of ubuntu? lts? newest? [19:36] any supported release is usually quite secure as security updates are checked for all supported versions and pushed usually at the same time to all of them too [19:37] I usually always run LTS releases on the servers to get a longer life cycle [19:37] and the latest stable release for desktop computers [19:37] and usually whatever is the current dev release on my laptop, though running the current dev version can be dangerous both from a stability than a security point of view ;) [19:38] titeuf_87_ asked: should bugs for extra apps be submitted in launchpad? Or directly to the author of the app? [19:38] packages in extras.ubuntu.com don't have a https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ it's usually best to contact the author/packager of the app and if it's a serious security issue and you don't get a reply, then contact the ARB directly [19:39] so we can try to contact the author again or even remove the app from extras.ubuntu.com if needed [19:40] seidos asked: i have an idea for a "medicine app" who should i get in touch with? [19:40] if it's an existing app you want to make available, then getting familiar with packaging and the post-release app process is probably what you should do [19:41] if it's for a new non-existing app, then I honestely don't know much about the "medicine app" community to answer that question [19:41] but it's probably best to contact someone who's already involved in that community to find other people to work with and start developping it [19:43] seidos asked: how can i find that community? or would i have to create it? [19:44] I'd suggest looking for similar apps in the archive, check who's writting them and try to contact one of the upstreams [19:44] that's probably the best way of getting introduced to people doing something similar to what you want to do === _LibertyZero is now known as LibertyZero [19:47] highvoltage asked: would the ARB be open to infrastructure on Ubuntu in the future that would allow Android apps in the extras repository? [19:49] interesting question [19:49] we discussed it a bit at the last UDS and it's something I'd personaly be fine with [19:50] though we'd probably find some way of allowing all Android apps to run then rather than having to review them one by one [19:51] (making sure they're sandboxed properly so even evil/badly coded ones can't harm your system) [19:51] There are 10 minutes remaining in the current session. [19:56] There are 5 minutes remaining in the current session. [19:56] ok, as there's no more question, now is time for a 5 minutes break before bdrung starts talking about the good stuff in ubuntu-dev-tools [19:56] thanks everyone for attending }}}