How to unorphan/unretire a package?

[Michael Schwendt]

Somebody with full knowledge of the process please update the instructions
in the Wiki:

  https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Orphaned_package_that_need_new_maintainers

The process described there is incomplete. And there are inconsistencies
in the terminology. In pkgdb, a package is called "deprecated", which is a
term not found in the packaging related Wiki pages. The Wiki uses a
mixture of "orphaned" and "retired".

Please complete the steps on how to resurrect a package, which pkgdb mark
with a "deprecated" box.

[...]

The following has happened:

  Feb 6 08:44:57 UTC 2010
  Package gnome-applet-netspeed in Fedora devel was orphaned by belegdol
  http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/scm-commits/2010-February/389883.html

  Feb 9 21:56:02 UTC 2010
  Package gnome-applet-netspeed in Fedora devel is now owned by lyosnorezel
  http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/scm-commits/2010-February/391948.html

So, package was "orphaned" earlier this year and got a new owner three
days later.

While it was still being discussed/evaluated how to proceed with the
package in F-13 development, the package was kept alive in F-12 and F-11
with bug-fixes.

Apparently, pkgdb continued to say "deprecated" for devel, although the
package had an owner. With no documentation on what that means and when
that mark would disappear. Removing the "dead.package" file and requesting
releng to unblock the package in koji also did not affect pkgdb, although
it was possible to build the package for Rawhide.

The process is unclear/confusing, and it would certainly help if we all
used the same terminology.