How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

ValdikSS · 2026-09-08 18:57:16

ArchLinux maintainer has updated libcupsfilters package to the latest upstream release version, which is buggy.
Some of the fixes have landed to the upstream git master, and as far as I could see, one of it has been applied in `-2` version of the package.

ArchLinux users came to libcupsfilters bug tracker, there's zero issues in ArchLinux gitlab for this package: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … ge_size=20

Usually, Linux distributions ask their users to make bug reports to the distribution packages, not to the upstream. According to ArchLinux Wiki, ArchLinux recommends reporting upstream bugs to upsteram. OK, different from others, but fair enough.

I have ArchLinux, ArchLinux Forums and Wiki account since 2011. Yet to report a bug, I have to:

1. Register on ArchLinux Gitlab
2. To register there, I need to run ArchLinux, because there's a captcha involving running `LC_ALL=C pacman -V|tail -n3|base32|head -1` as a challenge
3. After the registration application, the account needs to be confirmed manually by staff, for which to be done the user needs to send the email

Despite the name "SSO", I can't use my current account on Gitlab. I don't really want the account on Gitlab, but as far as I could see, this is the only official way to report bugs.
Could it be improved?

seth · 2026-09-08 19:46:54

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=312932
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=313303

And there're more threads like this - the migration from flyspray to gitlab is somewhere between a joke and a disaster, bug reporting has factually been soft-disabled.
No, I don't know what the problem is (gitlab and its stupid scratchpad that's notoriously abused for illegal activities aside)

Luckily the BBS has not been migrated to the SSO, cause otherwise you'd likely not have been able to open this thread either.
It's also not used for the AUR. From a users perspective it's SSO for the single use of the bugtracker. /grrr

The reason why arch asks to report upstream bugs upstream is because of the general "no downstream patches" policy - things needs to be fixed upstream and then the fix will be picked up w/ the next upstream update (ie. "bcause it's rolling release")
Accepted upstream patches can be cherry-picked before the next regular update.

What patches do you want to be picked up?
(I'll just play report-monkey :sigh:)

ValdikSS · 2026-09-08 19:53:05

seth wrote:

What patches do you want to be picked up?
(I'll just play report-monkey :sigh:)

Well, these two:
https://github.com/OpenPrinting/libcups … 2e74968829
https://github.com/OpenPrinting/libcups … 3e0c218d4d

And in general subscribe to https://github.com/OpenPrinting/libcups … issues/239, patches will be posted there for all the mentioned issues (which are plenty!)

ValdikSS · 2026-09-08 19:57:48

Also, current ArchLinux cups-filters package (a set of wrappers for libcupsfilters) is built with the filter called `universal`, which may be not the best idea for now.
Fedora builds it with `--disable-universal-cups-filter`, `--enable-individual-cups-filters` as follows:
https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/cups … .spec#_136

As far as I know, universal is designed for the bright future of CUPS v3.
Universal has it's own unique set of bugs which only ArchLinux users are affected of.
I've asked here: https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups-fi … ssions/727

Last edited by ValdikSS (2026-09-08 20:09:37)

seth · 2026-09-08 20:55:22

Do you know whether anyone upstream has picked up that at least for some printers printing fails altogether?
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=314800 => https://github.com/OpenPrinting/libcups … 5463504959

Also, current ArchLinux cups-filters package (a set of wrappers for libcupsfilters) is built with the filter called `universal`

https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … type=heads largely uses the upstream defaults and does so at least since the 2.0 release 3 years ago.
Did the upstream defaults change?

Is there any official upstream statement? The entire thing looks like quite the shit-show and maybe justifies withdrawing the update?

ValdikSS · 2026-09-08 21:49:11

printing fails altogether?

Printing test page fails for all ArchLinux users currently, because universal→bannertopdf→pdftopdf chain is broken for some reason.
The printing of regular files (PDF or not) should be working in general.

https://github.com/OpenPrinting/libcups … issues/217 is probably universal-related also.

So I generally recommend not to use universal in distros, for maximum compatibility with all drivers, meaning also that we should change the build system that use of individual filters is done by default and use of universal is optional.

https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups-fi … t-18357065

ValdikSS · 2026-09-08 21:51:28

Anyway, this topic is about bug reporting infrastructure in general, not a bug report of cups issues.

seth · 2026-09-08 22:38:29

https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … rk_items/2

About "bug reporting infrastructure in general"

seth wrote:

somewhere between a joke and a disaster, bug reporting has factually been soft-disabled

ValdikSS · 2026-09-08 22:45:02

Thanks!

Arch Linux

#1 2026-09-08 18:57:16

How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#2 2026-09-08 19:46:54

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#3 2026-09-08 19:53:05

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#4 2026-09-08 19:57:48

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#5 2026-09-08 20:55:22

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#6 2026-09-08 21:49:11

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#7 2026-09-08 21:51:28

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#8 2026-09-08 22:38:29

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

#9 2026-09-08 22:45:02

Re: How external projects should report bugs to ArchLinux packages?

Board footer