[debian-mysql] Meeting minutes (Re: Online meeting on MySQL/MariaDB packaging in Debian)

[Otto Kekäläinen]

Follow http://wiki.debian.org/Teams/MySQL for up-to-date information.

Here are brief meeting notes, correct me if there is something
essential missing:

Debian-MySQL packagers meeting 2013-05-09 20:15-21:25 GMT

Location: https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/fbaad075c03285639c650ab477ef78126fd5595e?authuser=0&hl=en
Background information: http://wiki.debian.org/Teams/MySQL

Present: Otto Kekäläinen (otto), Matt Griffin (mattgriffin), Norvald
H. Ryeng (ryeng), Clint Byrum (SpamapS), James Page (jamespage),
Daviey Walker, Nicholas Bamber (periapt), Marcin Kulisz (kuLa),
Nicholas Bamber (periapt) nicholas at periapt.co.uk, Chuck Short, Stewart
Smith (stewart)

Of these Debian Developers: SpamapS, periapt


1. Decision on future meetings

Hangouts every six months.
IRC once a week.

Action point: Otto will do a poll on what is the most suitable weekly irc time


2. Discussion on current team challenges

SpampaS and periapt have lately worked hard to ship security updates
to latest Debian while under release freeze. Oracle isn't transparent
enough and thus forces packagers to do extra work to follow changes,
security fixes etc. SpampaS expressed confidence that MariaDB doesn't
have the problems that exist with the Oracle version as it has more
transparency than MySQL (patches, bug/security fixes).

Ryeng (Oracle affiliation) has proposed helping out as much on the
Debian MySQL package.

The issue of replacing MySQL with MariaDB was discussed.

Conclusions:
- There will probably still be a user base for MySQL Oracle due to
technical and sentimental reasons.
- Debian, the universal operating system, should ship as much packages
as we have resouces.
. Ryeng assured Oracle will help keep MySQL packaged.
- MariaDB does not exist in Debian yet, too early to discuss dropping
MySQL anyway.
- Priority for the time being is getting MariaDB into Debian.
- If the team grows and there are more packagers, we could also
include Percona, Galera, Cluster, Drizzle etc. But we cannot decide to
have more resources, only wait and see.

Periapt stated that now when Debian has shipped a new release, we can
and should look into the future and put effort into new and better
packages.

AP: periapt will e-mail Otto information about the MySQL git-version
and prototypes of "continuous integration" tools.


3. Discussion on how to continue with MariaDB packaging

Otto has done a fair bit of packaging for MariaDB. He needs feedback.

Nicholas Bamber and James Page promised to test packages and give feedback.

*General call for testing and review from MySQL team.*

Please test out: https://github.com/ottok/pkg-mariadb/
Use git-buildpackage
Actual changes are all in:
https://github.com/ottok/pkg-mariadb/blob/master/debian/

See also: http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-mysql-maint/2013-March/005598.html

Given enough thumbs up from testers, SpamapS will upload the packages
to experimental.