% Debian Pure Blends - hacking in your parents' house
% Jonas Smedegaard
% Nitte, Mangalore, October 28th, 2011
# Overview
* Me and Asia
* Tricky terms
* FLOSS Eco System
* Debian - distro & community
* Customizing Debian
# Me and Asia
# Tricky terms
FLOSS: **F**ree/**L**ibre **O**pen **S**ource **S**oftware.
Hacking: Being creative with small pieces -- like playing with Lego.
Cracking: Breaking digital "locks", typically to steal digital data.
# FLOSS Eco System
# Debian - distro & community
* Community
* Distribution
* Free!
# Debian - Community
* ~1000 "Developers"
* ~500 "Maintainers"
* ??? actual contributors...
# Debian - Community structure
* Democracy
# Debian - Community structure
* ~~Democracy~~
* We all obey Debian Free Software Guidelines
* Almost no hierarchy: Each package maintainer responsible
# Debian - Distribution
* Generic - choices are exposed to the user
* Mother of other distros
# Debian packages
* They all obey Debian Policy
* Mozilla Iceweasel (Firefox): ~3 packages (+ ~70 lang packages)
* LibreOffice: ~30 packages (+ ~90 lang packages)
* Debian: ~35.000 packages
# Debian packaging - Mentors + sponsoring
* Peer review - many eyes see more bugs
* Education - Debian quality standards
* Ideals transfer - get help on packaging
* Mailinglist: <mailto:debian-mentors@lists.debian.org>
* IRC channel on OFTC.net: \#debian-mentors
* Website: <http://mentors.debian.net/>
# Debian packaging - Join teams
* Peer review - many eyes see more bugs
* Education - Debian quality standards
* Ideals transfer - get help on packaging
* Wiki page: <http://wiki.debian.org/Teams>
# Debian - derivatives
* Knoppix
* Ubuntu
* BOSS
* SWECHA
* ...
# Debian deriving
* Try use **live-builder**...
# Debian - blends
* Optimizing Debian itself for special purpose use
or
* Merging back derived work into Debian
# Debian - existing blends
* Debian Jr
* Debian Med
* Debian Edu
* Debian Science
* Debian EzGo
* BrDesktop
* Debian Accessibility
* Debian Lex
* DebiChem
* Debian GIS
* Debian Multimedia
# Debian - future blends
* FreedomBox
* Debian LAN
* BOSS?
* SWECHA?
* ...?
# Debian blending
* Join existing teams
* Convince Debian Developers to create new teams
* Try use **boxer**
# Debian Pure Blends - Benefits
* backed by Debian - help, bug tracking, translations, etc.
* teamwork - others might help you refine and maintain your setups
* common structures - others might take over if you loose interest
# Debian Pure Blends - downsides
* **annoying** - Debian package maintainers may not like proposed changes
* **slow** - stable distribution is released infrequently
* **rigid** - all contributions must match Debian Free Software Guidelines
* **complex** - packages must obey Debian Policy
# Tech - Debian support overloading choices
* Debian installer
* tasksel
* debconf
* aptitude
# Tech - examples of non-pure blending
* include non-Debian packages or non-packaged stuff
* include Debian packages from different Debian suite
* configure system other than via Debian package installation
* install using non-Debian media
You don't own your system - you provide one for others to own.
So don't refine it like a (sloppy) user: Handle it like a Debian developer!
# Tech - Debian, generic setup
* select package profile(s)
* install
# Tech - Debian, hand-tuned
* select package profile(s)
* select additional packages
* install
* (re)configure packages
# Tech - Debian, auto-tuned
* pre-seed package selection
* pre-seed package configurations
* install
* (re)configure non-debconf packages
# Tech - Debian Pure Blend = generic
* select blend profile
* install
# Tech - tasks involved
* extra software → into Debian officially
* manual configurations → preseeding
* maybe create temporary dirty hacks
* maybe use/create reusable tweaks
* eliminate dirty hacks and tweaks
* convince others in Debian to add as tasksel task
# Tech - blends-dev
Tool to help maintain package lists and prospective packages.
Example: <http://debian-med.alioth.debian.org/tasks/psychology>
# Tech - dirty tricks
Avoid configuration files...
* config.d folders
* databases
* networked data
# Tech - tweaks
Reusable scripts compatible with one or more of...
* FAI
* hands-off at http://hands.com/d-i/
* CFengine
* Puppet
# Tech - good style
* Aptitude
* debconf
* Config::Model
# Tech - When is it "Pure"?
When all is in Debian, with no dirty tricks:
* package selection(s)
* customizations
* installation
# Team - getting involved
* identify and isolate tweaks at your own system
* register missing software - on wiki page or (better!) in Debian BTS
* write documentation
* write the dream of how things ought to work
* wite how details work now
* discuss downstream (i.e. with users and subdistros) how things work /
should work
* discuss upstream (i.e. with authors) what is possible now / soon
# Team - getting involved II
* write intro for peer enthusiasts
* decide and document ideal formats - translations, graphics etc.
* prioritize pending tasks - of various kinds to encourage many
different contributions
* document where it is ok to ask beginners' questions
* document if beginners can ask for a mentor
# Team - getting involved III
* make illustration
* make screendumps
* make fan graphics
* make desktop backgrounds, CD covers, stickers, etc.
* Register the project as a DOAP file, and maybe at Ohloh and Freshmeat
etc.
* Register and maintain relevant Debtags
# Team - getting involved IV
* Translate package descriptions
* Translate debconf dialogs
* Translate upstream code
# Team - getting involved V
* Help integrate contributions from graphics artists, translators and
others
* document decision processes of the team (and Debian and upstreams?)
* document workflows in teams
* insist on transparency - not only for code!
# Team - Continuous status checks
* Ask users about their needs - you will forget over time!
* Ask teams about their tasks - each participant has slightly different
perception of the common vision and status
* Ask upstreams about use: perhaps potentials are missed, or code or
persons feel as being abused
# Debian Pure Blends - Future
* debconf dontcare vs. explicit choice of default option
* debconf query mechanism (and fill buffer from live system)
* APT explicit choice of alternate dependency/recommendation
* APT dontcare vs. explicit choice of default dependency/recommendation
* Config::Model - semantic configfile handling
# The End
* Me: <dr@jones.dk>
* Debian: <http://www.debian.org>
* Debian Derivatives Census: <http://wiki.debian.org/Derivatives/Census>
* This talk: <http://dr.jones.dk/blends/talk/nitte>
* Illustrations: <http://sirireiter.dk/blog/entry/110310/>
* Asia trip: <http://wiki.jones.dk/DebianAsia2011>