[R-pkg-team] When working on r-* packages in new please work First-in-First-Out (Was: r-cran-stanheaders_2.17.2-1_amd64.changes is NEW)

[Andreas Tille]

On Wed, May 16, 2018 at 09:12:55AM +0100, Chris Lamb wrote:
> Andreas,
> 
> > Since I'm afraid the information via IRC might become complex and hard
> > to maintain I refresh my hints with the following rule:  When working on
> > r-* packages please work top down the new queue (first r-* package in
> > should be first r-* package out).  Please do not pick from end or middle
> > of the queue when you enjoy checking any r-* package which was uploaded
> > by me.  This should ensure that dependencies will be accepted before a
> > package that might need another package from the queue.
> 
> What would be so wrong with that? Any missing depends would only be
> temporary and would seemingly save you a bunch of time managing any
> kind of state and us needing to remember there are special rules for
> r-* packages..

Bug #852925 is a good example why this makes a difference.  Despite I
mailed ftpmaster about the fact that r-cran-aer needs to be accepted
before r-cran-zelig this information somehow slipped through.  As you
say its *normally* not a big issue but you can never know.  Since
r-cran-aer was running several long time circles through new the bug was
open from 28 Jan 2017 to 27 Nov 2017.

That's something I'd like to avoid.  There was some mail exchange about
r-cran-aer (web searches are not as successfully as they used to be) and
this package was one reason for me to seek for alternative communication
channels to ftpmaster than e-mail.  IRC and face-to-face works better.
;-)

In short: You can never know in advance how long a package might be
uninstallable if its dependencies are not yet accepted.  I'd like to
avoid this kind of situation when I have no control about fixing this.

Kind regards

    Andreas.

-- 
http://fam-tille.de