Arch Linux

phrakture

Arch Overlord

From: behind you

Registered: 2003-10-29

Posts: 7,879

Website

Becoming a Trusted User

Hello everyone,
It appears that, with the AUR package size increasing at a wicked rate, that the small number of TUs (15 at the time of this writing) aren't going to be enough to test and maintain all these packages which belong in [community] (due to votes).

So, as such, there's always a need for more TUs.  I'm not going to come out and say "we really need more people right now", because I don't even know if we do.

The fact of the matter, though, is that people do not seem to understand that if you'd like to become a TU, it's up to you to introduce yourself.

The best way to do this is on the tur-users mailing list.  I suggest that if anyone has aspirations to become a TU, you subscribe to this mailing list and participate a bit.  It helps to maintain some packages in the AUR as well.

After you've done that, you simply need to find an existing TU to sponsor you to the other TUs.  After that, it's a simple matter of a vote (so it's in your best interest to proove to the tur-users mailing list that you're a good candidate).

The idea here is that if you want to become a TU, it's up to you.

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http://phraktured.net

arooaroo

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2005-01-13

Posts: 1,268

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

It would be nice to know what you're volunteering for though. What's the expected workload? Could someone just pick a set of packages to maintain, or are they dished out, etc, etc.

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arooaroo | Jacman (Pacman GUI) | Getting to Grips with LaTeX | flickr

Snowman

Developer/Forum Fellow

From: Montreal, Canada

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 5,212

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

TU are expected to be subscribed to the TUR ML and to participate in discussions and vote when required. Also, it is understood that TU should maintain packages in community/AUR. The number of packages is left to the TU discretion depending on how much time he have and how much work is require to maintain the packages. You can pick any set of packages. However, I would say that the packages having a lot of votes (~25+) should have some priority as the community repo is for the Arch community, after all.  There are also some orphaned packages in community that could be adopted by a willing TU.

dtw

Forum Fellow

From: UK

Registered: 2004-08-03

Posts: 4,439

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

It's also worth noting that that 15 TU number includes about 5 inactive TUs (including me) who aren't adopting any new pkgs.

arooaroo

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2005-01-13

Posts: 1,268

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

I've always thought that there is a shortage of TUs. I would love to volunteer, but I don't trust myself! (I don't know sh*t about pkgbuilds, abs, cvs, etc. I just bumble along and somehow scrape through. The fact that I've been running Arch for a year is proof that you don't actually need to be a competent linux user )

Perhaps there should be a TU quiz online. Multiple choice questions to make sure that you have enough knowledge about the important aspects. Then applicants could at least know if they should be eligible to nominate themselves.

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arooaroo | Jacman (Pacman GUI) | Getting to Grips with LaTeX | flickr

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

the quiz is if you get voted onto the team or not. :-)

Dusty

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** Arch Linux Apparel and more ** Arch Linux stickers, laptop bags, jewelery ** I wrote a book on Python 3 ** and one on mental health **

arooaroo

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2005-01-13

Posts: 1,268

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

the quiz is if you get voted onto the team or not. :-)

Dusty

Right, I better get handin' out some bribes...

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arooaroo | Jacman (Pacman GUI) | Getting to Grips with LaTeX | flickr

Cerebral

Forum Fellow

From: Waterloo, ON, CA

Registered: 2005-04-08

Posts: 3,108

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Man, I've been looking for a way to start helping with Arch lately.  I've been filing more bug reports, I've started to package stuff in AUR and whatnot.
I think being a TU would be a great way to help... my only issue is that, with school, I'd probably not be able to devote any considerable portion of time to such a thing... well, I graduate in about a year 'n' a bit, and Arch will definitely still be around then.

neotuli

Lazy Developer

From: London, UK

Registered: 2004-07-06

Posts: 1,204

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

The way being a TU ends up working is that you really have control over how much load you want to take on. Some TUs just add some packages to community and check up on them to make sure they're not out of date, once a week or something, and keep them up to date. Other TUs check new packages in the AUR and flag them safe.

Nobody has a particular job forced upon them, it's sort of up to the TU themselves to decide how they want to handle the job.

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The suggestion box only accepts patches.

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Hello,

Can we at least know the level of knowledge required? i mean knowing linux in general is not sufficient right? I can free some time daily to do it, the only isuue is that am arch user since a week i've done lots of stuff till now so am feeling confortable, but i haven't done any package yet ( i am not shell script noob, i consider myself well advanced with it, check my long vhcs.sh script which will prepare debian/ubuntu for vhcs installation (installing all dependicy, making necessary changes, as well as installing it and applying patches to it if the user would like to! more info)

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[My Blog] | [My Repo] | [My AUR Packages]

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

In the past, it seemed like TUs accepted new members based on things the user had done. Contributions to hte wiki, forum, mailing list, and IRC help, but the really big factor is the quality of packages that user has contributed to AUR if you have a lot of good packages in AUR, that's a pretty good indicator that you can be trusted to maintain packages properly.

Dusty

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** Arch Linux Apparel and more ** Arch Linux stickers, laptop bags, jewelery ** I wrote a book on Python 3 ** and one on mental health **

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

oh.. so for now it's better if i just contribute to AUR...

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[My Blog] | [My Repo] | [My AUR Packages]

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

welll.... that would increase your chances of being accepted AND give you practice at the stuff you need to be able to do.

Dusty

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** Arch Linux Apparel and more ** Arch Linux stickers, laptop bags, jewelery ** I wrote a book on Python 3 ** and one on mental health **

WillySilly

Member

Registered: 2005-01-14

Posts: 268

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Thanks for bringing this up phrakture

dtw

Forum Fellow

From: UK

Registered: 2004-08-03

Posts: 4,439

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Ahhh, WillySilly: the new dibble - all the work without the moaning...

Cerebral

Forum Fellow

From: Waterloo, ON, CA

Registered: 2005-04-08

Posts: 3,108

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Well, I decided "Screw it, why not?" and threw my name out to the TU list.  Not sure what, if anything, will come of it, since I've only really been super-active on the topic of ATI drivers... but we'll see.

neotuli

Lazy Developer

From: London, UK

Registered: 2004-07-06

Posts: 1,204

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Just a tip, when you decide you want to be a TU, make a lot of noise and push a bit. They can be an awful quiet bunch and if you don't rap on the door loud enough, no one will answer.  :cry:

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The suggestion box only accepts patches.

Cerebral

Forum Fellow

From: Waterloo, ON, CA

Registered: 2005-04-08

Posts: 3,108

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Just a tip, when you decide you want to be a TU, make a lot of noise and push a bit. They can be an awful quiet bunch and if you don't rap on the door loud enough, no one will answer.  :cry:

Oh... so I guess posting a "submission letter" alone ain't enough, huh...

Hm...  *wonders who he could bug to sponsor him... bug... incessantly...*
Hey, neotuli... *shifty eyes*... you gots an email address, don't you?

Mr Green

Forum Fellow

From: U.K.

Registered: 2003-12-21

Posts: 5,914

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

I'll vote for ya!

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Mr Green

neotuli

Lazy Developer

From: London, UK

Registered: 2004-07-06

Posts: 1,204

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Oh... so I guess posting a "submission letter" alone ain't enough, huh...

Hm...  *wonders who he could bug to sponsor him... bug... incessantly...*
Hey, neotuli... *shifty eyes*... you gots an email address, don't you?

Show me what you got, and my email address(es) are pasted all over the place, pick one.

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The suggestion box only accepts patches.

WillySilly

Member

Registered: 2005-01-14

Posts: 268

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

Yeah, everyone bug neotuli

iphitus

Forum Fellow

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2004-10-09

Posts: 4,927

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

What do I get for voting for you?

Cerebral

Forum Fellow

From: Waterloo, ON, CA

Registered: 2005-04-08

Posts: 3,108

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

What do I get for voting for you?

I'll mention you the next interview I have, plus a free pint of internet-beer.  "Internet beer, the free beer where you get what you pay for!" 

"Show me what you've got" eh, Neotuli?  Arg... if it wasn't for this headache of an assignment I'm workin on right now I'd attempt to win you all over to the dar-- I mean my side.  As it is I'm grumpy and my head hurts and I don't feel like self-promotion.   Maybe tomorrow after I get a nap.

*stands beside Neotuli*  "Botherbotherbotherbotherbotherbother"

iphitus

Forum Fellow

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2004-10-09

Posts: 4,927

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

What do I get for voting for you?

I'll mention you the next interview I have, plus a free pint of internet-beer.  "Internet beer, the free beer where you get what you pay for!" 

"Show me what you've got" eh, Neotuli?  Arg... if it wasn't for this headache of an assignment I'm workin on right now I'd attempt to win you all over to the dar-- I mean my side.  As it is I'm grumpy and my head hurts and I don't feel like self-promotion.   Maybe tomorrow after I get a nap.

*stands beside Neotuli*  "Botherbotherbotherbotherbotherbother"

Ooh! Beer!

The best way you can go around showing us what you can do, is to post what you consider your three best PKGBUILDS. They dont all have to be fancy, they just have to work, and show a good knowledge of what to do and not to do.

iphitus

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: Becoming a Trusted User

better,in fact, to post your links to them in AUR, to show you've already been working in the community.

Dusty

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** Arch Linux Apparel and more ** Arch Linux stickers, laptop bags, jewelery ** I wrote a book on Python 3 ** and one on mental health **