This page contains a list of ideas about Debian raised on various mailing lists over time. Please contribute more ideas here, pointing to the relevant discussions (only ideas previously discussed publicly should be added). Also, note that the fact that an idea is listed does not mean that there is consensus that it should be implemented. Some of them are controversial and should only be considered food for thought. More DPL ideas are in the platforms for DPL votes. Other lists of ideas are available.
Contents
Accessibility
General
Fixing accessibility in Debian http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00210.html
GDM
Fix accessibility of GDM: http://bugs.debian.org/694937 http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00230.html
Additional ideas
Additional ideas for accessibility: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00234.html http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00272.html
Brainstorming
Have "campaign ideas" type discussions more regularly
How to have these big picture discussions on improving outside of vote time? http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00243.html
Communications/Publicity
Communications with Companies and Governments
Making sure that "official" communications can happen with company representatives and governmental organisations where appropriate http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00199.html
Contribution to Debian enhancements
Clearer paths in
maintain a single list of “paths in” (from moray http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00010.html and lucas http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00060.html)
have some “neutral” people to ask about tasks, (editor's note - a new contributor front-desk) and to get suggestions from in response to explaining their current skills and experience (e.g. http://www.debian.org/women/mentoring) (from moray) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00010.html
Bite-sized introductory work
Gift tags: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00014.html
re-work on advertising gift tags (bugs suitable for new contributors) (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00014.html
- make sure teams have list of easy tasks in their wiki pages (from lucas)
Internships
- extend internship-like programs to other kinds of work (packaging, documentation, etc.)
Participation in Gnome OPFW: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00233.html
participate in other internship-like programs, like Outreach Program for Women (link from lucas http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00037.html), or organize our own, which would also avoid some restrictions from GSoC (northern hemisphere only (point made by moray http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00040.html), restricted to students (ana)) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00080.html
Challenges for student projects involving Debian (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00164.html
Gamification
Gamification of contribution to Debian http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00179.html
introduce more gamification in mentoring (from rra) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00179.html
General
Getting new people in Debian http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00008.html
Mentoring
do mentoring inside teams, like DebianMed’s MoM (from moray) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00029.html
localize -mentors@ (mailing lists + IRC channels for DE, FR, ES contributors) (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00060.html
organize IRC schools/seminars about e.g. packaging (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00069.html
Internationalization of mentors http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00212.html
Process
discussion on the various steps: Debian user – first contribution – regular contributor – DM/DD (from lucas http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00014.html)
simplify our development procedures, advertise good practices more clearly, improve our documentation. http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00014.html
Recruitment
More active recruitment http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00010.html
Make it more clear that "we need help!" http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00014.html
increase Debian presence at local meetings. Advertise the Debian Events initiative that facilitates that (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00154.html
provide “Debian ambassador” title for students, similar to what is done by Google or Microsoft (from moray) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00025.html
more local meetings, compile list of regional contacts (moray) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00010.html
Better use of local networks, where possible. http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00010.html
Social
Make it more fun for new contributors http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00010.html
Ecosystem
Improving Debian Economy
Improving the Debian economy http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00055.html
Supporting/crediting Debian Benefactor companies
Crediting companies that provide manpower to debian http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00127.html
Supporting companies that benefit from Debian and give benefit to Debian: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00312.html
Events
Regional 1-2 day events
More regional 1-2 day events http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00169.html
Mentoring sprints
Mentoring sprints (in-person) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00157.html
Financial
Better budgetting
More active and transparent budget planning before money is spent http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00199.html
Improved fundraising
More active fundraising to allow the plans http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00199.html
DPL checks and balances
Avoiding having major spending happen merely by DPL edict http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00199.html
Freedom
FSF stamp of approval
Debian as an FSF Free Software Distribution http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00171.html
Desert Island test for third party network services
Does Debian Main software need to pass the desert island test? (e.g. libechonest) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00249.html
Governance
Blockers for DPL candidacy
- Find out what blocks potential candidates from running for DPL (was a discussion of DPL salary).
Delegation
Pushing more topics out from the DPL to delegates http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00199.html
Making documentation by DPL delegations mandatory??: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00326.html Or not?: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00329.html
Debian Board
DebConf
Moving/merging some DebConf teams to become general Debian ones, with approriate delegates as required http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00199.html
Elections
use a pre-arranged questionnaire that DPL candidates would fill in (from algernon http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00159.html)
Determining consensus
use polls to measure consensus (from lucas https://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00144.html, question from mjr http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00142.html)
How to improve challenges getting consensus on -devel? http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00251.html http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00315.html http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00258.html
Escalate to real life meeting http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00297.html
Get TC involved more often and early, seeking advice: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00312.html
Infrastructure/Services
Setting up dev instances of user and developer facing services is hard
(for infrastructure) setting up a development instance is not documented, impossible, or extremely difficult. http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00164.html
User facing tools unapproachable
User facing tools don't look nice and can appear unfriendly http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00157.html
Project tools are sometimes too diverse: too many languages, too few people to understand and improve them. This is also a project-wide problem of not being able to make use of our human resources better. http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00157.html
Membership
DPM vs DD
New Member process
Reevaluate status of NM application indicating 6 month's as a DM is strongly encouraged http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00178.html
Debian-private issues? Dealing with hi traffic lists in general? Should we also subscribe new member to -project? http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00351.html
Member conduct
What to do about maintainer misconduct http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00319.html
Improving Politeness, Respect, Trust, Humility (Code of Conduct) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00319.html
Removing or limiting DD rights when needed: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00309.html
Metrics
Bug reports
Why aren't bug reports counts going up as package counts go up? http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00338.html
Women in Debian
Assessing status of women in debian http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00208.html
Status of active/inactive DDs
Better procedures for determining if a DD is active, or should be marked in-active? http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00251.html
A really good contributor-tracking system, http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00293.html
Packaging
Standardization
Pushing more standardization of packaging methods and practices, and allowing NMUs to contribute to that effort http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00168.html
ddeb
- ddeb support" (or "PPA" or ...)
Documentation of Local vs "Debian Official" guidelines
Breaking packaging guidelines into "local" vs "uploaded to Debian" http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00334.html
Volunteer curators for things like ITP and RFP lists
Encourage people who have ITP bugs or look seriously at RFP requests to post more updates and comments on bug reports http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00170.html
Release cycle
When to release
When to release http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00228.html
Identifying abandoned packages
Working more with upstreams to avoid shipping old packages. http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00160.html
Identify half-abandoned packages before freeze, to shorten length of freeze. http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00160.html
Rolling Release
Explore Rolling release http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00232.html
Testing as "usable"
Advertising 'testing' as a useable distro? http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00250.html
Gradual freezes
re-open discussion on gradual freezes (from lucas), focus attention on more important packages by improving tools (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00020.html and removing packages earlier (from moray http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00035.html and lucas http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00020.html)
RC bugs
involve upstreams and downstreams in RC bug fixing (from algernon) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00160.html
increase visibility of RC bugs squashers by listing them in Debian Project News (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00020.html
provide inexpensive non-monetary gifts (free t-shirts?) to RC bug squashers (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00094.html
Improving processes for distro-wide changes
authorize NMUs for archive-wide changeovers such as /usr/doc -> /usr/share/doc (from moray) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00149.html
Improving processes for distribution wide changes http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00116.html
Teams
Improve Team maintenance infrastructure
improve infrastructure to help with team maintenance (e.g. PET) (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00081.html
Getting teams more help from within the project
Getting teams more help from within the project: http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00310.html
Upstream coordination
How to bundle 3rd party components already in debian if they need different versions
How do deal with upstreams that want to bundle 3rd party components that are already in Debian (largely the issue when they set dependencies on components that have a different version than what ships with Debian) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00160.html
Easing inclusion
Make it easier for third parties to install/include their software on Debian http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00303.html http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00330.html
Sponsoring DD attendance at upstream events
use Debian money to sponsor maintainers to attend upstream events (from lucas) http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2013/03/msg00015.html