So, you've read all the documentation, you understand what everything in the
hello
example package is for, and you're about to Debianize your
favourite piece of software. How do you actually become a Debian developer so
that your work can be incorporated into the Project?
Firstly, subscribe to debian-devel@lists.debian.org
if you haven't already. Send the word subscribe in the
Subject of an email to debian-devel-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
.
In case of problems, contact the list administrator at listmaster@lists.debian.org
.
More information on available mailing lists can be found in Mailing lists, Section 4.1.
You should subscribe and lurk (that is, read without posting) for a bit before doing any coding, and you should post about your intentions to work on something to avoid duplicated effort.
Another good list to subscribe to is debian-mentors@lists.debian.org
.
See Debian Mentors, Section 2.3
for details. The IRC channel #debian on the Linux People IRC
network (e.g., irc.debian.org) can also be helpful.
Before you decide to register with the Debian Project, you will need to read
the Debian Social
Contract
. Registering as a developer means that you agree with and
pledge to uphold the Debian Social Contract; it is very important that
maintainers are in accord with the essential ideas behind Debian GNU/Linux.
Reading the GNU
Manifesto
would also be a good idea.
The process of registering as a developer is a process of verifying your identity and intentions. As the number of people working on Debian GNU/Linux has grown to over 500 people and our systems are used in several very important places we have to be careful about being compromised. Therefore, we need to verify new maintainers before we can give them accounts on our servers and letting them upload packages.
Registration requires that the following information be sent to new-maintainer@debian.org
as
part of the registration application:
debian-private@lists.debian.org
(typically this will be either your primary mail address or your new
debian.org address).
Debian Social Contract
.
If you do not have an OpenPGP key yet, generate one. Every developer needs a OpenPGP key in order to sign and verify package uploads. You should read the manual for the software you are using, since it has much important information which is critical to its security. Many more security failures are due to human error than to software failure or high-powered spy techniques. See Maintaining Your Public Key, Section 3.2 for more information on maintianing your public key.
Debian uses the GNU Privacy Guard
(package gnupg
version 1 or better as its baseline standard. You can use some other
implementation of OpenPGP as well. Note that OpenPGP is a open standard based
on RFC 2440
.
The recommended public key algorithm for use in Debian development work is the
DSA (sometimes call ``DSS'' or ``DH/ElGamal''). Other key types may be used
however. Your key length must be at least 1024 bits; there is no reason to use
a smaller key, and doing so would be much less secure. Your key must be signed
with at least your own user ID; this prevents user ID tampering.
gpg
does this automatically.
Also remember that one of the names on your key must match the email address
you list as the official maintainer for your packages. For instance, I set the
maintainer of the developers-reference
package to ``Adam Di Carlo
<aph@debian.org>''; therefore, one of the user IDs on my key is that same
value, ``Adam Di Carlo <aph@debian.org>''.
If your public key isn't on public key servers such as
pgp5.ai.mit.edu, please read the documentation available locally
in /usr/doc/pgp/keyserv.doc
. That document contains instructions
on how to put your key on the public key servers. The New Maintainer Group
will put your public key on the servers if it isn't already there.
Due to export restrictions by the United States government some Debian
packages, including gnupg
, are located on ftp sites outside of the
United States. You can find the current locations of those packages at
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/README.non-US
.
Some countries restrict the use of cryptographic software by their citizens. This need not impede one's activities as a Debian package maintainer however, as it may be perfectly legal to use cryptographic products for authentication, rather than encryption purposes (as is the case in France). The Debian Project does not require the use of cryptography qua cryptography in any manner. If you live in a country where use of cryptography even for authentication is forbidden then please contact us so we can make special arrangements.
Once you have all your information ready, and your public key is available on
public key servers, send a message to new-maintainer@debian.org
to
register as an offical Debian developer so that you will be able to upload your
packages. This message must contain all the information discussed above. The
message must also contain your public key (extracted using gpg --armor
--export user_id in the case of gpg
) for the
database of keys which is distributed from url-debian-keyring;
and the
debian-keyring
package. Please be sure to sign your request
message with your chosen public key.
Once this information is received and processed, you should be contacted with information about your new Debian maintainer account. If you don't hear anything within a month, please send a followup message asking if your original application was received. Do not re-send your original application, that will just confuse the New Maintainer Group. Please be patient, especially near release points; mistakes do occasionally happen, and people do sometimes run out of volunteer time.
The mailing list debian-mentors@lists.debian.org
has been set up for novice maintainers who seek help with initial packaging and
other developer-related issues. Every new developer is invited to subscribe to
that list (see Mailing lists, Section
4.1 for details).
Those who prefer one-on-one help (e.g., via private email) should also post to that list and an experienced developer will volunteer to help.
aph@debian.org
schwarz@debian.org
ijackson@gnu.ai.mit.edu