Proposal: Acceptance Repository

What?

We should add a new acceptance repository where new and updated packages appear before they get released into the main repositories, to follow the DTAP (Development, Test, Acceptance, Production) rules.

NOTE: The acceptance repository is not meant to replace any current testing procedures, it is meant to be an extra saveguard to protect inexperienced users and critical systems.

Why?

This way we'll have a wider audience to test stable packages. People using the acceptance repository should be able to fix their installation if something fails in the new updates. And they can then report a broken package, so these can be fixed before a package gets actually released into the main repositories.

This is especially handy when it comes to kernel and driver updates, because of the large variety of extra hardware that could get tested.

NOTE: There is already dapper-proposed, but we think that it would be better to follow the DTAP (Development, Test, Acceptance, Production) rules. The acceptance repository should provide stable software, because it comes after the initial testing.

Therefor a call to experienced users who want to help will also be necessary, so they know what to do when a certain update breaks their system.

The acceptance repository has added value for the following reasons:

1. More people will actually use this repository, because it should be stable for most people.
2. Number 1 results in more extensive testing on more hardware
3. Less end-users will be plagued by software updates with hardware issues

4. Recently there was an upgrade to xserver-xorg-core that broke X for a lot of users. We are hoping that the acceptance repository will prevent chaos like this in the future!

How?

1. set up the acceptance repository
2. put stable (tested) packages in the acceptance repository
3. let the users with the acceptance repository use the packages for a given timeframe
4. if some users report problems, fix those problems, do initial testing again, and go back to step 2
5. if there are no problems in a given timeframe, release the packages in the main repositories

Time frames

How long do the packages have to be in the acceptance repository? This should get discussed

What about security updates? I think critical security updates should keep the current testing procedures, and get released in the main repositories immediately. But this can be discussed too.

Get involved

These people will discuss and defend this idea:

• Buddy Baars (budster)

• profoX

• Zappa

These people will discuss and are against this idea:

• (none yet)