Sponsorship

The sponsorship process is designed to allow prospective developers to have packages reviewed and uploaded. Sponsorship provides a means of learning about Ubuntu development and lowers the entry barrier for contribution.

The process outlined here is aimed at dealing with incremental changes to existing packages within Ubuntu. (For mentoring on the creation of entirely new packages, please see the MOTU/Packages/REVU process.)

Requesting Sponsorship

To make use of Ubuntu merge proposals, follow these easy steps:

• set up the tools

• get the source

• work on the package

• seek sponsorship

The traditional process involves:

• File an Ubuntu bug in Launchpad or follow up on an existing one. If you think this might be a security update, please review the security team's "Issues that warrant a security update".

• Attach your work

  • in the case of a patch (using the same upstream version), attach your suggested patch (Howto Debdiff). For security updates, please see the security update packaging guidelines.

  • if the package uses a patch system (run what-patch in the source tree to find out), then make sure to follow the patch tagging guidelines. Package specific patch tags may be documented in debian/README.source.

  • review our general patch guidelines that give tips how to get the patch included upstream as well.

  • in the case of a upstream version update (Howto Package Update) attach the .diff.gz file (and link to the new upstream source if necessary)

• Subscribe ubuntu-sponsors or ubuntu-security-sponsors as appropriate (details below)

Packages maintained on Launchpad Code Hosting

Special attention is required if packages are maintained on Launchpad's Code Hosting. You might run into a message like this, when getting the source package:

$ apt-get source ubuntu-artwork
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
NOTICE: 'ubuntu-artwork' packaging is maintained in the 'Bzr' version control system at:
https://code.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-art-pkg/ubuntu-artwork/ubuntu
Please use:
bzr get https://code.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-art-pkg/ubuntu-artwork/ubuntu
to retrieve the latest (possible unreleased) updates to the package.
[...]
$ 

In these cases please consider registering a Merge proposal. It will make the life of the maintainers a lot easier.

New Packages

The process for getting NEW packages (packages which are not in Ubuntu at all yet) reviewed is explained at UbuntuDevelopment/NewPackages.

Sponsoring

To review Ubuntu merge proposals, check out DistributedDevelopment/Documentation/UploadingAPackage.

Sponsorship is organized into two teams:

• https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-sponsors

• https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-security-sponsors

Do not assign a bug to anyone if it needs sponsorship.

Any Ubuntu developer who is interested in acting as a sponsor is welcome to apply for membership in the appropriate team.

You can see the currently pending requests at:

• https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs?field.subscriber=ubuntu-sponsors

• https://bugs.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-security-sponsors/+subscribedbugs

Or combined at:

• http://qa.ubuntu.com/reports/sponsoring/

The ubuntu-sponsors team handles general sponsorship of packages in Ubuntu; the ubuntu-security-sponsors team handles sponsorship of packages in the security pocket for all components.

Workflow for Review and Sponsorship

If you are processing the universe sponsorship queue, please review the UbuntuDevelopment/CodeReviews, MOTU Sponsorship Procedure Documentation, or SecurityTeam/SponsorsQueue.

CategoryProcess