Added contributing section

[debbugs.git] / README

diff --git a/README b/README
index dd2705000dab55050daf32c5ef7f799045ec71be..c5a9a6596c99b9c41896e17c98d2ffabe8952dd1 100644 (file)
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,14 +1,20 @@
-                     DEBIAN BUG TRACKING SYSTEM
-                     --------------------------
+                     debbugs, Debian bug tracking system
+                     -----------------------------------

 
 This bug tracking system was developed by Ian Jackson from 1994-1997,
 with assistance from nCipher Corporation Limited in 1997.  nCipher allowed
 Ian to redistribute modifications he made to the system while working as an
 employee of nCipher.
 
 
 This bug tracking system was developed by Ian Jackson from 1994-1997,
 with assistance from nCipher Corporation Limited in 1997.  nCipher allowed
 Ian to redistribute modifications he made to the system while working as an
 employee of nCipher.
 

+Since then, it has been developed by the various administrators of
+bugs.debian.org, including Darren Benham, Adam Heath, Josip Rodin, Anthony
+Towns, and Colin Watson.  As in the case of Ian, nCipher allowed Colin to
+redistribute modifications he made while working as an employee of nCipher.
+

 =============================================================================
 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
 =============================================================================
 =============================================================================
 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
 =============================================================================

+

  - GNU date
  - GNU gzip
  - Perl 5 (5.005 is known to work)
  - GNU date
  - GNU gzip
  - Perl 5 (5.005 is known to work)


@@ -17,8 +23,10 @@ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
  - The bug system requires its own mail domain.  It comes with code
    which understands how exim, qmail and sendmail deliver mail for such a 
    domain to a script.
  - The bug system requires its own mail domain.  It comes with code
    which understands how exim, qmail and sendmail deliver mail for such a 
    domain to a script.

- - A webserver (this is easiest if the bug system can write
-   directly to the webspace).
+ - A webserver.  For the old system of static HTML pages generated for
+   bug reports and index pages, this is easiest if the bug system can
+   write directly to the webspace; for the new system of CGI scripts
+   that generate web pages on the fly, write access is not required.

  - Somewhere to run CGI scripts (unless you don't need the web forms for
    searching for bugs by number, package, maintainer or submitter).
 
  - Somewhere to run CGI scripts (unless you don't need the web forms for
    searching for bugs by number, package, maintainer or submitter).
 


@@ -33,6 +41,8 @@ If you can't use the .deb, do the following:
 1. Run "make install" from the source directory.
 
 2. Edit the config files in /etc/debbugs/ directory to suit your needs.
 1. Run "make install" from the source directory.
 
 2. Edit the config files in /etc/debbugs/ directory to suit your needs.

+Re-run debbugsconfig when you're finished to regenerate the
+documentation.

 
 3. Set up the mail arrangements to deliver mail to the right place, and to
 set up a blackhole mail alias if you need one.  Ensure that owner@bugs, the
 
 3. Set up the mail arrangements to deliver mail to the right place, and to
 set up a blackhole mail alias if you need one.  Ensure that owner@bugs, the


@@ -44,7 +54,11 @@ All other email should be piped into the receive script.
 directory.
 
 5. Test things a bit, by sending mail messages to the bug system and
 directory.
 
 5. Test things a bit, by sending mail messages to the bug system and

-running .../scripts/processall and/or .../scripts/update-html.
+running /usr/lib/debbugs/processall and/or /usr/lib/debbugs/rebuild.
+The latter updates index files used by the CGI scripts.  If you're
+feeling brave, you can link /var/lib/debbugs/spool/index.db to
+index.db.realtime and .../index.archive to index.archive.realtime to
+remove the need for the rebuild script; this is still semi-experimental.

 
 6. If all seems well then install the crontab from
 /usr/share/doc/debbugs/examples/crontab.
 
 6. If all seems well then install the crontab from
 /usr/share/doc/debbugs/examples/crontab.


@@ -56,19 +70,60 @@ this: "package       maintainer name <e-mail@address>".
 
 If you need a template, look in /usr/share/doc/debbugs/examples/ directory.
 
 
 If you need a template, look in /usr/share/doc/debbugs/examples/ directory.
 

+=============================================================================
+CONTRIBUTING TO DEBBUGS
+=============================================================================
+
+Getting the Source Code
+
+Debbugs is managed in git. You can clone the repository into your local workspace as follows:
+
+git clone http://bugs-master.debian.org/debbugs-source/debbugs.git
+
+Additional branches are available from:
+
+ * http://git.donarmstrong.com/debbugs.git/ (Maintainer: Don Armstrong)
+
+Make a working branch for your code and check it out to start working:
+
+git checkout -b example-branch
+
+Stage and commit your changes using appropriate commit messages
+
+git add example-file
+
+git commit -m "Created an example file to demonstrate basic git commands."
+
+Submitting a Patch
+
+Submitting a patch can be done using git format-patch.
+
+For example 
+
+git format-patch origin/master
+
+Creates .patch files for all commits since the branch diverged from master.
+
+Debbugs bugs are tracked using debbugs (what else). Patches should therefore be attached to the bug report for the issue. This can be done by emailing xxxx@bugs.debian.org (where xxxx is the bug number) with the patches attached. That's a terrible way of saying it, Stoopid.
+ 
+Feature patches can also be emailed to the maintaining list at  debian-debbugs@lists.debian.org
+

 =============================================================================
 FURTHER INFORMATION
 =============================================================================
 =============================================================================
 FURTHER INFORMATION
 =============================================================================

-Web:  http://benham.net/debbugs/
-Email: debbugs@benham.net (mailing list)
-       debbugs-REQUEST@benham.net with the word subscribe in the body
+
+Email: debian-debbugs@lists.debian.org (mailing list)
+       To subscribe, email debian-debbugs-request@lists.debian.org
+       with the word "subscribe" in the subject line
+Outdated web site: http://benham.net/debbugs/

 
 =============================================================================
 COPYRIGHT AND LACK-OF-WARRANTY NOTICE
 =============================================================================
 
 =============================================================================
 COPYRIGHT AND LACK-OF-WARRANTY NOTICE
 =============================================================================

-Copyright 1999 Darren O. Benham <gecko@debian.org>
-Copyright 1994,1995,1996,1997 Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk>
-Copyright 1997 nCipher Corporation Limited
+
+Copyright 1999 Darren O. Benham
+Copyright 1994-1997 Ian Jackson
+Copyright 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Limited

 
 This bug system is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
 
 This bug system is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free


@@ -83,5 +138,3 @@ You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
 with this program, or one should be available above; if not, write to the
 Free Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
 02111-1307, USA.
 with this program, or one should be available above; if not, write to the
 Free Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
 02111-1307, USA.

-
- - Darren Benham 14 Oct, 1999