Re: junior kernel tasks

On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 7:07:31 pm Eitan Adler wrote:
> On 28 October 2014 15:14, Baptiste Daroussin <bapt_at_freebsd.org> wrote:
> > On Tue, Oct 28, 2014 at 09:35:26PM +0100, Marcus von Appen wrote:
> >>
> >> Quoting John Baldwin <jhb_at_freebsd.org>:
> >>
> >> > On Saturday, October 25, 2014 4:45:36 pm Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> >> >> Hello,
> >> >>
> >> >> In short, nice kernel tasks people with C language skills can do in few
> >> >> evenings.
> >> >>
> >> >> https://wiki.freebsd.org/JuniorJobs
> >> >>
> >> >> It is assumed you know how to obtain sources and build the kernel.
> >> >>
> >> >> What you can get in return:
> >> >> - your own code in FreeBSD tree
> >> >> - eternal glory [1]
> >> >> - fun [2]
> >> >>
> >> >> If you are not interested, but know someone who does, please pass it
> >> >> down.
> >> >>
> >> >> [1] - not really, no
> >> >> [2] - well, I guess that's subjective, so that's not a "no"
> >> >
> >> > Even though our bugmeisters have decided that we should not have wishlist
> >> > items in our bug tracker, I really wish we could store the various idea lists
> >> > (we have several) in an issue tracker instead.  This would allow for folks to
> >> > comment on ideas, vote for them, etc.  It would also make it easier for more
> >> > people to submit new ideas.
> >> >
> >>
> >> Speaking not strictly with the bugmeister hat, but from experience, please do
> >> not let us go down the road of (ab)using a bug tracking solution as task and
> >> idea management system. I think that using the tasks feature of phabricator
> >> (our reviews instance) would provide better workflow support for those things,
> >> starting out from sketching out rough ideas, discussing them, breaking them up
> >> in seperate tasks (linked to and dependent on each other) and collaborating
> >> on them (take a look at https://developer.blender.org/T42339 for a
> >> brief example).
> >>
> >> Having said this, let's keep the bug tracker a bug tracker.
> >>
> >> Cheers
> >> Marcus
> >
> > I disabled the tasks on phabricator to avoid having it a duplicate of bugzilla,
> > but if we have a use for it I can activate it!
> >
> > Actually I do like the idea of the bug tracker aka bugzilla being only for bugs
> > and uxe phabricator for tracking the tasks
> 
> having disparate trackers for "wishlist" and "bugs" is quite harmful
> and splits the conversations.  It makes people learn multiple systems
> and search multiple places - especially if the feature ends up being
> submitted as a patch to the bug tracker.
> 
> I'd rather keep wishlist items in the bug tracker than split them into two.
> 
> (also, fwiw, I'd rather keep the tasks number space clean should we
> ever decide to import from bugzilla -> phabricator)

I'm not tied to a specific issue tracker to use for this and am happy to other
folks debate which implementation is best, but what I would prefer is a system
to let us manage "ideas to implement" like the ideas page for GSoC and this
wiki page.  The desired output is a list of vetted tasks.  A task might start
out as a wishlist entry, but someone has to step up and say "yes, this is a good
idea and I will review it / shepherd it, etc." for it to become a "vetted task".
Being able to store conversation about each task and tag it with other meta
data (e.g. tagging the person who "owns" the task and will do the review /
sheperding as well as being able to categorize them, etc.)  However, I do think
one important thing is that when a new idea is submitted, it has a built-in
sunset.  If no one grabs it after time X it becomes closed instead of remaining
an open wishlist forever.  Similarly if the "owner" of a task drops ownership,
the timer would start while waiting for a new owner.  However, this does feel
very much like an issue tracker.

-- 
John Baldwin