Diff for "Contributors"

1. Contributing to RPM Fusion

So, you've decided to become a contributor to RPM Fusion? This guide will lead you through your first package submission and teach you how to update your package(s) in the future.

2. Becoming a RPM Fusion contributor

Having packaging experience in Fedora is much preferred, but newcomers are welcome too. However if you are a newcomer (i.e. you're not a Fedora sponsored packager) you must first get sponsored, which means find someone to guide you while you learn the procedures.

2.1. Create a Bugzilla Account

In either scenario you should create your first RPM Fusion package and submit it for review as described below. The review process is handled through Bugzilla, as will be any bugs reported against your packages.

Make sure you have an account in Bugzilla.

The email address that you use for your Bugzilla account should be the same email address as you use for all other things related to RPM Fusion.

2.2. Join the Mailing List

Once this is done, join the Developers Mailing Lists and introduce yourself there. Include a link to the review request for your first package in your introduction, and if you're a newcomer also mention that you need someone to sponsor you.

If you have questions about the packaging process, this is the place to ask.

Also join the RPM Fusion CVS commits mailing list (missing link). The CVS commits mailing list is used for commit messages from the CVS repository. You should subscribe to this list to track the changes to all the packages.

3. Submitting a new package

3.1. Read the packaging guidelines

RPM Fusion follows the Fedora packaging guidelines, make sure you've read and understood these:

• http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/NamingGuidelines

• http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/Guidelines

It is also a good idea to read the items which will be checked during the review of your package and to verify yourself that these are all ok:

• http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/ReviewGuidelines

3.2. Create a package review request

Before posting a review request, you should upload your SRPM and SPEC file to any accessible location on the internet.

Before your package can become part of RPM Fusion it must first be reviewed, create a new bug report as follows :

• Choose "Package Reviews" as Product.
• Choose "Review Requests" as Component.

• Set Summary to: "Review request: %{name} - %{summary}", with %{name} and %{summary} from the package.

• Put the following in the Description:
  • Full URLs to the spec file and source rpm of the package.
  • A short description for the package (usually, the %description from the spec file).
  • Why this package is not eligible to be included in Fedora.

  • The output rpmlint gives on both the source and binary packages. Explain for each message why you've chosen to ignore it.

  • Mention if this is your first RPM Fusion package.

• The request should also be set to block the tracker bug: RF_NEW (bug #2). This way, other contributers can easily check for packages that need reviewing. If you want to help others by doing reviews yourself go to bug #2.

3.3. Wait for your package to be reviewed

As time permits another RPM Fusion contributer will review your package, sometimes other people add a few comments, this does not constitute a review.

When a proper review gets done the reviewer will assign the bug to him, remove the blocker on RF_NEW and set it to block the tracker bug RF_REVIEW (bug #3). This indicates that a review is in progress. A review request should only be accepted by a maintainer that has at least one package in the RPM Fusion repository and for newcomers only by a sponsor.

The reviewer should follow the Fedora Review Guidelines as close as possible, obviously taking into account any differences between Fedora and RPM Fusion. As RPM Fusion is more permissive with the content it allows, exceptions to these guidelines are allowed in some circumstances but care and common sense should prevail. The reviewer should ensure that any deviations from the Fedora Packaging Guidelines are sane and justified in the package they are reviewing. If in doubt, please ask on the RPM Fusion mailing list. The reviewer should inform the contributor of any changes that need to be made to their package, if any. The contributor should update their package as necessary, including bumping the release version and submit the new SPEC file and source rpm URL. The reviewer should verify the changes. This is repeated as many times as necessary until the contributor and reviewer are happy with the final package.

3.4. Your package gets approved

Once the reviewer approves the package, by adding a comment that the package has been approved, remove the blocker RF_REVIEW bug and set the review request to block the tracker bug RF_ACCEPT (bug #4).

Ask for the creation of a directory for your package in the CVS repository by adding a comment as follow

Package CVS request
======================
Package Name:
Short Description:
Owners:
Branch:
InitialCC:

3.5. Import your package

Once the CVS directory has been created, the package must be imported.

To be detailed once the CVS repository is in place.

First, set the export the CVSROOT :

export CVSROOT=:ext:username@cvs.rpmfusion.org:/cvs/free

cvs co common
cd common

./cvs-import.sh -t $my_tree -b $my_branch $my_srpm

Where free is the related cvstree where your packages should imported

3.6. Request a build

Add a comment to the review that the import has been done, remove the blocker on RF_ACCEPT and close the bug as RESOLVED FIXED.

4. Updating an existing package

1. Update your local copy and test it.

2. Commit your changes, with a useful changelog message.

3. ... the next steps will depend on the infrastructure not yet in place at the time of writing.

CategoryContributing