Server seed review

Registered by Jos Boumans

Reviewing the server seed

The packages shipped as part of the server seed should be of outstanding quality and actively maintained. As the server product evolves, it's crucial to review the seed and find the best solution for the packages we know and care about. Options involve (among others) keeping the status quo, adoption by other teams, adoption by Ubuntu community or following the Debian packages.

Blueprint information

Status:
Complete
Approver:
Jos Boumans
Priority:
Medium
Drafter:
Mathias Gug
Direction:
Approved
Assignee:
Mathias Gug
Definition:
Obsolete
Series goal:
Accepted for maverick
Implementation:
Deferred
Milestone target:
milestone icon ubuntu-10.10
Completed by
Mathias Gug

Sprints

Whiteboard

Status:
[20100924]:
  Deferred to Natty.

[20100730]:
 * What did you say you would do?
      Include ttx feedback on the website and send out call for review (WI1).
 * What did you actually do?
      Review site is up and running. Call for review sent. Not a lot of feedback for now.
 * What issues or problems are you having? What do you need help with?
      None.
 * What's next?
      WI1: Review list of new packages that will be supervised on ubuntu-server@: INPROGRESS

[20100705]
* What did you say you would do?
   Not available.
* What did you actually do?
  Wrote up appenging POC to help reviewing the 100s of packages in the ubuntu-server pkg set - http://ubuntuserverpkgsetreview.appspot.com/.
* What issues or problems are you having? What do you need help with?
  None.
* What's next?
  Include ttx feedback on the website and send out call for review (WI1).

[20100616] Script to sync package set with supervised packages written (support blacklisting/whitelisting). Need to start review process on ubuntu-server@
Q: should be done ubuntu-devel@ instead?

[20100614] Started to sync the supervised packages list with the ubuntu-server package set.

Complexity:
maverick-alpha-3: 1
ubuntu-10.10-beta: 3
ubuntu-10.10: 2

Work items for maverick-alpha-2:
Write script to automatically match ubuntu-server bug contact packagelist with ubuntu-server package set: DONE
Update sync_bug_supervisor.py to sync package set packages to supervised bugs: DONE
Define plan to review list of packages interesting to the ubuntu-server team: DONE
Review list of new packages that will be supervised on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
Review list of supervised packages to remove unecessary ones on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
Update list of supervised packages with review outcome: POSTPONED

Work items for maverick-alpha-3:
WI0: Create ubuntu-server-dev team: DONE
WI0.1: Hand of ubuntu-server-dev management to DMB: POSTPONED
WI1: Review list of new packages that will be supervised on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
WI2: Review list of supervised packages to remove unnecessary ones on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
WI3: Update list of supervised packages with review outcome: POSTPONED

Work items for ubuntu-10.10-beta:
WI0.1: Hand of ubuntu-server-dev management to DMB: DONE
WI1: Review list of new packages that will be supervised on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
WI2: Review list of supervised packages to remove unnecessary ones on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
WI3: Update list of supervised packages with review outcome: POSTPONED
Remove smbfs from server-ship: DONE
Demote migrationtools: DONE
Move rabbitmq-server to supported server seed: DONE
Demote php5-sybase to universe - check that access to MSSQL is still supported (won't demote to universe): DONE
[ttx] Investigate printer drivers usage of desktop and update corresponding packages on the -server iso: DONE
Add drbd8-source - review kernel support for drbd8: DONE
Move ibmasm-utils to supported: DONE
Move nagios to supported: DONE
Review ubiquity-frontend-debconf (dependency of oem-config-debconf): DONE
Demote traceroute: DONE
Create a UEC package set: POSTPONED

Work items for ubuntu-10.10:
WI1: Review list of new packages that will be supervised on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
WI2: Review list of supervised packages to remove unnecessary ones on ubuntu-server@: POSTPONED
WI3: Update list of supervised packages with review outcome: POSTPONED
Create a UEC package set: POSTPONED
(2) Review the AppEngine app and make improvements for the next cycle if time permits: POSTPONED

ttx review / 20100526:
 * Spec doc is missing, should be completed if we intend to work on that
 * Should move "Notes" to the spec doc (if any)
 * Suggested assignees: zulcss / mathiaz
 * Estimated complexity: 2-4
 * Suggested priority: 2/Medium
 * Suggested Subcycle: Iteration 2 (Alpha-3)

jib review / 20100526:
 * UDS discussion on packages of interest need to be translated to work items
   even those that mean starting a discussion
 * To have ample time for testing/impact analysis, i suggest:
 * Suggested priority: 1
 * Suggested Subcycle: Iteration 1 (Alpha-2)

== UDS M discussion notes ==
Goal: Review the ubuntu-server package set in order to turn the list into the canonical list of packages that are of interest to the ubuntu-server team.

Review the list of package ubuntu-server is a bug contact for.

Define which packages are in server seeds:

  https://code.launchpad.net/~mathiaz/+junk/get-server-pkgs

List of server packages in maverick generated by the script above:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MaverickServerSeeds

Particular large packages of interest:

* Mysql, php5:
  * high bug/SRU count

* OpenSSH:
  * high bug, low SRU count

* samba:
  * high bug/SRU count
  * majority in smbclient
  * active upstream

* openldap, autofs, libnss-ldap, krb5 (User/group id mgmt):
  * high bug count, medium SRU count
  * low activity upstream

* backuppc, bacula (Backup):
  * medium bug count, low SRU

* bind9 (DNS):
  * medium bug count, low SRU
  * active enough upstream

* postfix, clamav, amavisd-new, spamassassin, mailman (Mail stack):
  * medium bug/sru count
  * active community / upstream

* ntp:
  * medium bug count, low SRU
  * majority in client

* dhcp3:
  * high bug, low SRU count
  * majority in dhclient

TODO: update ubuntu-server package bug contact list to match the list of packages in the ubuntu-server package set.

Reviewing the server seed

The packages shipped as part of the server seed should be of outstanding quality and actively maintained. As the server product evolves, it's crucial to review the seed and find the best solution for the packages we know and care about. Options involve (among others) keeping the status quo, recommend extra headcount, adoption by other teams, adoption by Ubuntu community or following the Debian packages.

Goal: Review the ubuntu-server package set in order to turn the list into the canonical list of packages that are of interest to the ubuntu-server team.

Review the list of package ubuntu-server is a bug contact for.

Define which packages are in server seeds:

  https://code.launchpad.net/~mathiaz/+junk/get-server-pkgs

List of server packages in maverick generated by the script above:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MaverickServerSeeds

Particular large packages of interest:

* Mysql, php5:
  * high bug/SRU count
  - many are 'user error'
  - triaging load is HIGH
   - call for volunteers!
   - Debian is also asking for help!
  - Last LTS => bugs come from reading the 'new' manual
  - Current LTS => backporting fixes
  - Minimal effort = status quo

* OpenSSH:
  * high bug, low SRU count
  - fine as is, keep status quo - remove from ubuntu-server package set (-> bug list)?
    - follow colin's sugestion on this (server team to check with him)

* samba:
  * high bug/SRU count
  * majority in smbclient
    * many of these are from DESKTOP users
  * active upstream
  - Desktop can not adopt this package due to lack of resources
  - Server team will follow upstream only
    - Triaging included:
        - Update DebuggingSamba wiki page.
        - Have upstreambugforwarding guidelines
  - Apport hooks:
    - help the desktop team define better apport for nautilus
    -

* openldap, autofs, libnss-ldap, krb5 (User/group id mgmt):
  * high bug count, medium SRU count
  * low activity upstream
  * upstream-upstream IS active
  - following debian not a good option
  - Server team does not have expertise or resources
  - Foundations maintenance suggested (mostly PAM)
   - Server team to follow up
   - Alternative is extra headcount for server team
    - Adam Sommer volunteers to be part of the head count.
  - Should move to 'better' stack for next LTS
  - relies on ntp

* backuppc, bacula (Backup):
  * medium bug count, low SRU
  - bacula: follow debian
  - backuppc: 'desktop backup system' -> universe

* bind9 (DNS):
  * medium bug count, low SRU
  * active enough upstream
  - status quo

* postfix, clamav, amavisd-new, spamassassin, mailman (Mail stack):
  * medium bug/sru count
  * active community / upstream
  - status quo
  - postfix most important

* ntp:
  * medium bug count, low SRU
  * majority in client
  - Not used in the UI/Desktop
    - ntpdate is used
  - Follow Debian

* dhcp3:
  * high bug, low SRU count
  * majority in dhclient
  - Network headcount in the platform
   - Foundations?

TODO: update ubuntu-server package bug contact list to match the list of packages in the ubuntu-server package set.

== Seed review ==
remove smbfs from server-ship
demote migrationtools
move rabbitmq-server to supported server seed
put ifenslave-2.6 on the iso
demote php5-sybase to universe - check that access to MSSQL is still supported.
Investigate printer drivers usage of desktop and update corresponding packages on the -server iso.
Add drbd8-source - review kernel support for drbd8
Move ibmasm-utils to supported.
Move nagios to supported.
Review ubiquity-frontend-debconf.
Demote traceroute.
Create a UEC package set.

(?)

Work Items