Hi fedora-release maintainers and fellow developers,
The fedora-release package contains stuff that is tied to each Fedora version and changes slowly, and it also contains the preset files for systemd units, which change fairly often (a few requests per month).
Currently fedora-release has a fairly complicated maintenance structure, with an "upstream" project at https://pagure.io/fedora-release and "downstream" at https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/fedora-release. "upstream" is only used for this single "downstream", and in fact changes made in packaging "downstream" are sometimes lost when the next version of "upstream" is imported.
I propose simplifying this and opening fedora-release releases to more contributors:
1. Let's drop "upstream" at https://pagure.io/fedora-release and make the "downstream" the canonical source of the package,
2. Allow pull requests in src.fp.o/fedora-release,
3. With 1 and 2. implemented, it'll be easier for any fedora maintainer to suggest improvements to the package (through PRs) and it'll also be possible for proven packagers to do changes without stepping on the toes of the maintainers and interfering with the separate "upstream" repo. Let's agree to allow pps to update fedora-release as necessary when the main maintainers are busy.
4. Release fedora-release quickly, so that when a preset change request comes in [1], it can be handled in a few days or a week. (Having such requests hanging usually blocks changes to the package in question, so it's important to have the resolution of the preset status without undue delay.)
To implement this, not much action is required, mostly acceptance of the maintainers to amend and open up the process. Concrete steps that do need to be taken:
1. tweak https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/fedora-release/settings to allow PRs 2. push a commit to "upstream" that that repo is dead 3. make a README for "downstream" that PRs can be submitted and outline the requirements.
I'll be happy to submit the PRs for 2 and 3. I'll also be applying for co-maintainership in the fedora-release package, because I want to push those changes forward.
What do you think?
Zbyszek
[1] https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:DefaultServices#How_to_enable_a_ser...