[aur-general] TU application.

[Peter Lewis]

On Thursday 09 September 2010 at 22:06 Ronald van Haren wrote:
> > The only packages that you mentioned your interests in that aren't
> > maintained in community are mendeley and kbib.
> 
> /off-topic
> Don't know mendeley. Kbib is still qt3 or have they finally a workable
> qt4 version, I really hate using jabref.
> /off-topic

Yeah jabref really does suck. I've started using Mendeley for daily work in 
the last couple of months, and it's quite nice I think.

I also know the KBibTex developer a little (he works in the same field as me) 
and am hopeful that his KDE4 version will be usable pretty soon (and we 
already have a package in the AUR tracking the SVN).

> > You do have very few packages albeit nice and clean ones. I think that
> > you should demonstrate the final thing you mentioned by adopting some
> > more packages and cleaning them up so that you at least have 20. Ofc
> > this is not required and it's just my opinion. (I think the minimum
> > amount of packages any user should have before applying to a TU
> > position is 20 nice and clean ones)
> > I'm just suggesting this so that I know that when TU's apply (not just
> > picking on you) that they at least look like they have some minimal
> > experience that I expect a TU to have.
> 
> Agreed. Alternatively I would be satisfied with some patches you
> supplied to some projects to fix issues. I don't doubt your ability
> reading what you're doing, just like to see some prove of motivation
> to do this kind of work.

Yeah to be honest I do a lot of development, but most of my code doesn't get 
out there into established open source projects. If you're interested, you can 
look at some of my (unpublished, quite dirty) code here, as an example:

http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~prl/local/simcoma.tar.gz

Most of the stuff I've done in terms of patching is just really compilation-
fixing, backporting others' patches or and adding the odd extra configuration 
option as in this patch:

http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-commits&m=123740056219029&w=2


> >>3) Maintain / improve processes and package standards.
> >>
> >>I think that standard processes and packages are very important, and can
> >>make life using Arch a lot easier. It's also important that the
> >>processes are right, and this means attention to detail. Things like
> >>package naming and categories fall into this. I think a large part of
> >>the job of a TU is to keep the AUR clean and clear, and I would spend
> >>time helping to achieve this. I have in mind that bits of additional
> >>functionality, such as to enabling deletion requests to be handled
> >>through the web interface, perhaps duplicate flagging and package
> >>renaming would be useful and make the job of a TU easier. Over time, I
> >>would investigate implementing things like this.
> >>
> > Awesome.
> 
> Awesome indeed. You could already have started, you don't need to be a
> TU/DEV to write code for most of our projects. Good code will most
> likely be accepted in any case. So not really a reason to become a TU
> IMO.

Yeah that's true that I could have been doing some work on this already, but I 
think it does give you a mandate to get involved in AUR management.

Well, I think I'll have a look at some of this whether I am voted in or not 
anyway, since in particular a deletion interface is an itch I'd like to 
scratch :-)


> >>Also on processes, I'm a bit of a geek for democratic stuff,
> >>constitutions and bye-laws and things. I've worked with a couple of
> >>quite large democratic organisations on their election and
> >>decision-making rules and would be interested in helping to keep these
> >>working well for the good of Arch and us all too. Again, it's important
> >>to get the rules right, but in addition to hard rules, often
> >>establishing good etiquette is just as important (but IMO preferably
> >>without going down the Ubuntu route of canned responses). I think Arch
> >>people are good at this kind of thing, but I think it always helps to
> >>have people who are interested in keeping things fresh.
> >>
> > I agree.
> > 
> >>If there are any questions, I'm very happy to try to answer them.
> >>
> > Can I get your secret beer recipe?
> 
> mmm I like beer, especially free beer! I assume there is plenty for us
> when we vote you in? :-p

Well, it's perhaps not "free as in beer"!

Maybe if you vote me in I'll make a special Arch Beer variety. Do we have Arch 
beer glasses in the schwag store? :-D

Pete.