Re: [eclipse-dev] Integrate more projects into Platform UI?

["David M Williams" <david_williams@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> == Feedback desired
> 
> What do you think? Should be suggest the move
to Platform UI for the
> following components:
> 
> - resources
> - debug
> - releng
> 
> to the PMC?

I will not speak for 'resources' or 'debug', but for
the "releng" component group I would object to a large scale
change in committers that have not gone through the traditional path of
earning committer rights there. For several reasons: 

A. The role of "release engineer" involves
special skills and interests that most committers do not have. 
B. It sometimes involves access to parts of code or
infrastructure that not that many committers should be able to access.
 
C. Another reason has to do with the goals and philosophy
of a component or project. Being a committer implies more than the ability
to commit code to a repository -- they also do (or should!) participate
in the design, plans, and priorities of the component or project.  In
my opinion, that can only work well with a cohesive group of like-minded,
similarly skilled people.  
D. Also -- you do not want to turn me loose on the
UI and Text code! :)
E. There are parts of "release engineering"
that do not show up in "Git commit" activity, so I think it is
a disservice to people like Markus Keller not to acknowledge his significant
contributions to release engineering. 
F. I think our current system has a good division
of labor. The "releng component" is focused on (and responsible
for) the production of enterprise quality builds; while all committers
can do "quick even-if-slightly-incorrect builds" with Gerrit
and Hudson. I am quite happy to continue to maintain that division of labor
and I would not like to see Gerrit/Hudson support for the whole team become
part of my formal (or informal!) responsibility. (Though always glad to
help if I can.) 

From my point of view, there is not a current problem
that needs to be solved. 

You mention two things specifically: 

> several minor cleanup patches are currently pending
in Gerrit since a while.

Most of them from you. :) I have no doubt these are
well intentioned, but I question the "cost/benefit" ratio. Substantial
contributions that solved problems or provided material improvements would
receive higher priority. I think these cleanup patches are getting the
attention they deserve. 

> Also I think it would be helpful if David could
fix releng related issues directly in sub-projects.

Please don't direct my work or increase my workload.
I have enough people doing that for me as it is. :)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

None of the above negative attitude is to say additional
contributions or committers is not desired and welcome -- that would be
great. I would just prefer the traditional route to them earning commit
rights. 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

There is an exception, of sorts, to all I said above.
In the 'eclipse.platform.releng' repository, there are some modules that
more rightly belong in the repository with the rest of their domains. The
obvious ones are 

org.eclipse.ant.optional.junit
org.eclipse.cvs
org.eclipse.help-feature
org.eclipse.rcp
org.eclipse.rcp (feature)

I would have no objection to those modules moving
to more appropriate repositories. 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

There is a lot more I could say, but I think I have
already been too wordy. 

I hope have answered your main question.