[aur-dev] Handling deletion through the web interface.
Hi folks, As I said in my TU application, I want to get involved in trying to grease the wheels of the AUR a little. So, I'm proposing as a first step that we allow (prefer? require?) deletion requests to be handled through the web interface. The main aim of this is to try to standardise the process and information available in the messages (and therefore archived on aur-general) concerning AUR deletion requests. For example, messages like this are now somewhat meaningless (no offence to the author or anyone else intended): Subject: [aur-general] Delete and orphan request Hi, can somebody delete the following packages: 1) http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=38923 - my mistake, error in package name, replacement here http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=39067 2) http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=17379 and http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=36306 - they duplicate this package http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=5790 3) http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=28544 - this is version from previous developer of Onscripter-en 4) http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=8242 - already included in community etc. etc. The basic idea is this: 1) Any user can click a button to propose a package for deletion. This flags that package as having been proposed, and triggers an email to aur-general and the package maintainer, containing the name of the package and a link to it. 2) TUs and others can discuss the deletion request on aur-general as before. 3) When a decision is made, a TU can then either delete the package, or else cancel the deletion proposal, also on the web interface. Once a package is proposed for deletion, no-one else can also propose it (until / unless the request is cancelled by a TU), so aur-general doesn't get more than one email. I'll forward the patches to this list for review. This is just the first bit of this implementation (it's pretty basic). Still to do (IMO) is: - Include a form for the proposer of the deletion to write a few words about why it should be deleted. - Place information about a package's current "proposed for deletion" status in prominent places on the web interface. - Also email everyone who has asked to be notified about the package. Cheers, Pete. PS. Note that it also requires a small database schema change.
On Sat 11 Sep 2010 16:20 +0100, Peter Lewis wrote:
As I said in my TU application, I want to get involved in trying to grease the wheels of the AUR a little. So, I'm proposing as a first step that we allow (prefer? require?) deletion requests to be handled through the web interface.
Hi Peter. Thanks for sending in these patches. I really don't know when I'll be able to give these a fair look however. The AUR really needs someone to step up to keep it going now. I finally updated the AUR today, but I was actually meaning to do that two months ago. :(
Hi Loui, On Monday 20 September 2010 at 02:23 Loui Chang wrote:
Hi Peter. Thanks for sending in these patches. I really don't know when I'll be able to give these a fair look however.
No problem - so sorry for sending more :-) I've actually spent today taking another look at how this can be accomplished, and since it seems that we should require users to give reasons for deletion requests, which then get forwarded to aur-general (otherwise the automated emails aren't too useful), I've reimplemented some of it in a slightly different way. Basically I put the bulk of it in pkgedit.php rather than pkgfuncs.inc, imitating the way category changes happen. This means that in my implementation: - Users are now required to give a reason when requesting deletion, from a list. Hopefully this will make people think / check. - When a package has a pending deletion request, this is displayed on the package page. - Users can leave a comment (and should in most cases), which gets forwarded to the list in the deletion proposal and can start any discussion. - The maintainer and everyone on the notify list also gets an email, letting them know that the package is up for deletion (with the reasons) and this will be discussed on aur-general. - TUs and devs can cancel deletion requests (preferably following discussion on the list), ordinary users can't. - On the downside, bulk deletion proposals aren't possible, since reasons have to be given per package on the pkgedit.php page. Bulk cancelations are possible though, in case of abuse. - It should be fairly easy to add and amend valid reasons for proposing deletion, since these are just extra variables in the http post, which get sent to the mailing list. They're not stored in the database (seemed overkill to me). (Five related) patches to follow shortly (and don't bother with the previous ones I sent, these include that stuff).
The AUR really needs someone to step up to keep it going now.
Well, once I'm a bit more comfortable with the code and processes and stuff, I'd be happy to help. Cheers, Pete. PS. There's a bit of duplication of code here, but if the general idea is accepted, then I'll work on factoring some of it out later.
participants (2)
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Loui Chang
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Peter Lewis