Notify debbugs (debian bug tracking system) in linked bugs when bug get fixed in ubuntu

[Reinhard Tartler]

would it be possible for ubuntu bugs which are linked to debian bugs, to make malone
send an email to the debian bug tracking system if the bug got fixed in
ubuntu?

[Reinhard Tartler (siretart)]

Many debian maintainers would really appreciate to learn if a bug in their package got fixed in ubuntu. Malone could very easily send out a notification if the bug was linked to a debian bug number.

[Ian Jackson (ijackson)]

Reinhard Tartler <email address hidden> writes:
> I don't know if you have already discussed this, but would it be
> possible for ubuntu bugs which are linked to debian bugs, to make malone
> send an email to the debian bug tracking system if the bug got fixed in
> ubuntu?

Before this is implemented, it should be discussed with Debian. They
are likely to have an opinion about how and whether this is
appropriate.

See also my comments in
 https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2007-July/023874.html
et seq. Sending messages with information about fixes, rather than
ones with information about bugs, is less dangerous. However, doing
so from LP will still require consent.

If Launchpad does this without prior consultation I foresee a massive
flamewar.

Ian.

[Tim Post (tinkertim)]

On Fri, 2007-07-06 at 12:15 +0100, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Reinhard Tartler <email address hidden> writes:
> > I don't know if you have already discussed this, but would it be
> > possible for ubuntu bugs which are linked to debian bugs, to make malone
> > send an email to the debian bug tracking system if the bug got fixed in
> > ubuntu?
>
> Before this is implemented, it should be discussed with Debian. They
> are likely to have an opinion about how and whether this is
> appropriate.

In this case that is something best done indirectly. Just keep track of
what packages they are + changesets and if anyone else wants them they
can have them. Just make the data available, it evidences its own
usefulness.

Six degrees of separation dictate Debian is sure to find out if there's
a fix for one of its packages.

Doing this unintentionally helps Debian without disturbing Debian, which
I suggest to be the most efficient course.

Best,
--Tim

> See also my comments in
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2007-July/023874.html
> et seq. Sending messages with information about fixes, rather than
> ones with information about bugs, is less dangerous. However, doing
> so from LP will still require consent.
>
> If Launchpad does this without prior consultation I foresee a massive
> flamewar.
>
> Ian.
>

[Reinhard Tartler (siretart)]

Err, are we miscommunicating here? I'm explicitly only talking about bug, which have an buglink to debbugs. These links are known to have been made by a human reading both an malone and a debian bugreport and coming to the conclusion that it is the same bug.

Sending a notice that this particular bug has a fix in ubuntu is only polite. I think the comment from Tim is from a similar discussion, but not really on the request expressed in this bug.

[James Westby (james-w)]

Hi,

Just a small note about this.

Debian's bts-link now supports launchpad, so if the bug was marked
as forwarded to launchpad then that service would notify
without any "push" having to come from launchpad.

However, I don't think debbugs has the concept of "bug watches",
only "forwarded", so it doesn't really work for distro bugs.

There may be some benefit in discussing bug watches with
the debbugs maintainer(s), then bts-link could use those
as well, and so gain the benefit of this. Perhaps launchpad
automatically setting up bug watches in debbugs
would be an easier sell, but that's hypothetical.

Thanks,

James

[Björn Tillenius (bjornt)]

I'm marking this as Triaged, since this is something that we should explore. We won't do anything without discussing it with the Debian maintainers, though. It would also be interesting to know how often bugs are fixed in Ubuntu, before they are fixed in Debian.

[Robert Collins (lifeless)]

We have bug federation via a plugin system today; I think we'd just need a debbugs implementation for pushing changes; setting this as low given the relative lack of interest it appears to have gathered.