[Slackbuilds-users] Policy to modify someone else's script

[Robby Workman]

Deak, Ferenc wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> There was a mail about the ocaml build script yesterday. While I was
> checking the
> script I made, I realised that the script was modified by  "core
> <eroc at linuxmail.org>".
> He bumped up the version which is OK, but made unecessary changes also.


I'm curious about these unnecessary changes...  I can't speak for the
other admins, but often times I will make changes to a script in some
cases:
  1. I see a cleaner/better way to do something
  2. style changes - keep the script more consistent with the others
     in our repo

While I'm not aware of these sorts of changes ever breaking something
other than typographical (fat finger) errors - note that this is not
to imply that it hasn't happened - I certainly hope that this is not
the source of the complaint.

That being said, if a change is both not needed and doesn't fit within
the guidelines above, then yeah, I see your point.


> I think it would be better to set up a rule, which says that:
> before modifying someone else's script please contact with original
> author to discuss the changes.


I think that's a good idea as well, and one that I believe is stated
in different words in our FAQ.


> Another case when there is a need for communication: Suppose that I
> have packages on sbo
> where the version number is lower than the latest release of the given
> software. If somebody increases the version just because he/she saw a
> higher version on the net is not the best process, because I have
> reasons not to increase the version, so the communication would help.


Agreed.


> And even I'm going further: Because the sbo maintainers has limited
> time to understand each package, perhaps it is better to involve the
> original author to the acceptance process, when somebody else made any
> changes.


Fully agreed.  I'll expand on this more in a response to Eric's post.

-RW