From debian-announce@pixar.com Fri Apr 1 15:07:17 1994
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From: imurdock@gnu.ai.mit.edu
To: debian-announce@pixar.com
Subject: It has come to this...
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0b -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
Status: RO
As anyone who has been watching the evolution of Debian for awhile is
well aware, the development of it has been plagued by missed deadlines
and unkept promises. These problems have been entirely my fault; I
wish I had nothing more to do but Debian, but unfortunately this is
not the case. And I'm afraid that the situation is getting no better.
Three weeks ago I had to get a second job because my bank account
dipped below zero. Now I'm a full-time Computer Science student with
two part-time jobs totaling 28 hours of work per week, 18 hours a week
in class and God knows how many hours a week outside of class doing my
homework and programming projects. And then there's Debian. And I am
moving to Michigan in May, getting married in October... The facts
are that I have exceeded my limit. I probably did long ago, but I
love working on Debian so much that I haven't been willing to admit
that to myself.
I'm going to take a break. I can't do it anymore. I have made
several .tar.gz files of the Debian 0.92 directories from my system,
and I can make them available to the rest of the developers and anyone
who wants to continue working on Debian. I have also made an archive
of my sources, most of which are in extreme disarray.
Debian is my ``baby'', and it pains me greatly to have to do this.
But I have no other choice. My role in the project is going to have
to be significantly reduced. There is absolutely no way that I can
continue to do what I have been doing. This is a major setback for
the project, but it _can_ survive. I will continue to contribute to
it as much as my time allows and to help organize it as best I can.
But the days of Ian-centralized releases are over. Please show me
that the group development of Debian I envisioned can work. If
everyone can do their part we can get back on track.
Please don't flame me for my decision. I wish I didn't have to make
it.
Ian Murdock < imurdock@gnu.ai.mit.edu>
From debian-announce@pixar.com Sat Apr 2 04:03:40 1994
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From: quinlan@spectrum.cs.bucknell.edu (Daniel Quinlan)
To: debian-announce@pixar.com
Subject: don't panic! (was: "It has come to this...")
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0b -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
Status: RO
Before you begin to conclude that Debian is going to vanish, I have a
brief message for everyone: Debian is here to stay.
Still, we do have some rougher times ahead. In the next several weeks,
some things are going to change. In the long-term, the changes will all
be for the better. Yes, the release of Debian 0.92, at least as a
complete system, will be delayed. Please be patient with all of the
Debian developers.
Importantly, various developers of Debian are now working on a preliminary
assessment of what we have, who will be doing which packages, etc. Once
we are done the assessment, we will ask the Debian lists at-large to pick
up any packages which lack a maintainer. I ask that you wait until then
before you volunteer to throw yourself on the fire for the Debian project,
especially so we may allocate our resources where we need them most.
Ian Murdock wrote:
> My role in the project is going to have to be significantly reduced.
> There is absolutely no way that I can continue to do what I have been
> doing. This is a major setback for the project, but it _can_ survive.
> I will continue to contribute to it as much as my time allows and to
> help organize it as best I can. But the days of Ian-centralized
> releases are over. Please show me that the group development of Debian
> I envisioned can work. If everyone can do their part we can get back
> on track.
I agree completely with the above. We *can* do this.
--
I spoke with Ian earlier and we have come up with a basic plan for the
near future:
. Ian Murdock will continue to "lead". All final decisions will be
made by him.
. ALL non-base (the boot/root disk and the two base disks) packages
will be "decentralized" and maintained by persons other than Ian.
. Ian Murdock will continue to maintain the base Debian system, but
with help from others. dpkg, packaging systems, etc. will still
be a part of the base, but others will also be working on them.
Users of Debian will be kept up-to-date on the reorganization by me and
others. This here is only a preliminary briefing to make certain nobody
gets the wrong idea (sometimes, I think Ian writes in Dostoevsky-mode).
We want to make it clear that things are relatively okay, if a little
uncertain.
Thank you for your time.
Daniel
--
Daniel Quinlan < quinlan@spectrum.cs.bucknell.edu>
From debian-announce@pixar.com Sat Apr 2 14:06:32 1994
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From: imurdock@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Ian Murdock)
To: debian-announce@pixar.com
Subject: My future with the Debian project
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0b -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
Status: RO
The Debian project will still have a leader. I will be around
indefitely to serve as that leader. I have no intention of giving up
Debian entirely; I simply need to allocate much of the work that I
have been doing myself (or, rather, _trying_ to do myself :) to other
people.
I can still perform a leadership role and administrative tasks. I
have always firmly believed that someone who has the final word is
essential to the success of the project. I can still be that person.
I anticipate ``sub-leaders'' of important functions emerging soon.
Discussion is going on behind the scenes as to exactly how we're going
to have to organize ourselves. It is not going to be easy, but it can
be done.
And I will still be doing the base system. Most of the package work
will be allocated to other people.
The Debian project will survive.
Ian Murdock < imurdock@sage.cc.purdue.edu>