Ubuntu Backporters Official Team Policies

This page lists the official team policies for the Ubuntu Backports team. All documentation here, or linked to from here, should be maintained by the team, and should provide all information needed for anyone to understand and be able to follow the backports process.

Any changes to this page must be approved by a majority vote as described below.

This page was approved by a team vote.

1. Mission Statement

The mission of the Ubuntu Backports Team is to maintain the backports pocket of all stable Ubuntu releases.

2. Definitions

• Team chair: the chair.

• Meeting chair: any team member while running a team meeting.

  • Usually this is the team chair

  • This may be another team member if the team chair is absent from the meeting (or has delegated the duty).

• Agenda: the wiki Agenda used for team meetings.

• Team meeting: a team meeting in IRC, which uses the agenda.

• Mailing list: the team's ubuntu-backports mailing list.

• IRC channel: the team uses the #ubuntu-devel channel on libera.chat; note this channel is not dedicated to the backports team.

• Team wiki page: the team's main wiki page is UbuntuBackports.

• Majority vote: a simple majority vote.

• Supermajority vote: a supermajority vote.

3. Communication

1. All public email communication should use the mailing list.

2. All public IRC discussion should use the IRC channel.

3. Team meetings will be held on IRC according to the agenda.

4. Public documentation will be located at, or linked from, the team wiki page.

4. Membership

The team in Launchpad is ubuntu-backporters.

4.1. Requirements

4.1.1. Existing Team Membership

To apply for membership in the team, an applicant must already be a member of at least one of the following teams:

• Ubuntu Core Developers

• Ubuntu Masters of the Universe

4.1.2. Understanding of Backports Process

Applicants must be familiar with the Ubuntu Backports process, as documented on the team wiki page.

4.2. Application Process

Applications must be provided to the team on the mailing list, and the applicant must add an item (at least 1 week before the meeting) to the agenda in the AOB section.

The email should include:

• why the applicant wants to join the team
• link to applicant's LP profile
• applicant's experience with the backports process
• any other relevant information

The team will then review the candidate and may ask questions of the candidate on the mailing list and/or at the team meeting. The team chair will call for a majority vote on the candidate's application no later than 1 month after the application.

4.3. Removal

Team members may resign at any time. Any team member may call for a majority vote to remove any other team member.

5. Meetings

The team must hold at least one team meeting per calendar quarter. The team chair should act as the meeting chair for the meeting; if the team chair is not present or wishes to delegate, any team member may volunteer or be delegated as the meeting chair. The meeting chair should run the meeting according to the agenda. After the meeting, the meeting chair shall update the agenda with the results of the meeting.

6. Voting

Normal operation of the team does not require any voting; team members can generally carry out their duties autonomously in service of the team Mission Statement. However, there are some situations where team voting is required.

6.1. Process

6.1.1. Requesting a Vote

A vote may be requested by any team member.

• Before the vote is requested, there should have already been public discussion of the topic. However, lack of previous public discussion does not prevent a vote from being called.

• The request may be made on the public mailing list, or during a team meeting in irc.

• If the call for a vote occurs during a team meeting, the meeting chair may start the vote immediately or may defer the vote to the mailing list or to the next team meeting.

• If the call for a vote occurs on the mailing list, the team member requesting the vote may start the vote immediately on the mailing list or may defer the vote to the next team meeeting.

6.1.2. Voting

Once a vote has started, as described in the above section, each team member may provide a vote, which must be one of:

• -1, indicating disapproval of the topic.
• +0, indicating abstention from the voting on the topic.
• +1, indicating approval of the topic.

The vote will remain open until one of the following occurs:

1. All team members have provided a vote.

2. At the conclusion of a team meeting which occurs at least 2 weeks have passed since the call for a vote.

3. The remaining unvoted team members could not affect the result of the vote.

Once any one of the above has occured, the vote is considered closed. The chair (meeting chair if voting during a meeting, otherwise the team chair) will count the votes as described below and announce the result.

6.1.3. Counting the Votes

When calculating the vote result, use these terms:

• The number of +1 votes is the ayes.

• The number of -1 votes is the nays.

• The number of team members who have not provided a vote is the unvoted; this number does not include members who have abstained by providing a +0 vote.

6.1.3.1. Majority Vote

Any topic that requires majority vote is considered passed if the ayes are greater than the nays. If the ayes are equal or less than the nays, the topic fails.

If either of the following conditions are true, the unvoted team members cannot affect the result, and the vote may be considered closed:

1. The ayes are greater than the sum of the nays and unvoted.

2. The nays are equal to or greater than the sum of the ayes and unvoted.

6.1.3.2. Supermajority Vote

Any topic that requires supermajority vote is considered passed if the ayes are equal to or greater than twice the nays; otherwise the topic fails.

If either of the following conditions are true, the unvoted team members cannot affect the result, and the vote may be considered closed:

1. The ayes are equal to or greater than twice the sum of the nays and unvoted.

2. The sum of the ayes and unvoted is less than twice the nays.

7. Chair

1. One team member shall be appointed as chair, with a majority vote within the current team members; the current chair has a casting vote (they may vote only to break a tie).

2. The chair holds the role until a successful vote for a new chair.

3. The primary function of the chair is to facilitate the team to make progress on fulfilling the Mission Statement.

4. The chair shall be the team Administrator of the ubuntu-backporters team. All other members of the team shall be normal team members.

5. The chair is responsible for the administrivia of the team, including running team meetings. The chair may delegate to team member(s), including delegation of running a team meeting.

6. The chair may resolve any disagreement in whatever manner the chair decides is appropriate.