[Sheflug] Debian Derivatives Exchange project launched

[Richard Ibbotson <richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Might be of some interest to someone....

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Debian Derivatives Exchange project launched
Date: Friday 18 March 2011, 19:01:52
From: "Alexander Reichle-Schmehl" <tolimar@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: debian-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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The Debian Project                                
http://www.debian.org/
Debian Derivatives Exchange project launched            
press@xxxxxxxxxx
March 18th, 2011                
http://www.debian.org/News/2011/20110318
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Debian Derivatives Exchange project launched

The Debian Project has taken another important step towards better
collaboration with its more than 300 derivative distributions by
launching the Debian dErivatives eXchange project (DEX). The core idea
behind DEX is to reduce the technical differences (informally called
"delta") between Debian and its derivatives. This is mainly 
accomplished by easing the integration of patches from derivatives. 
Making available the patches from all derivatives results not only in 
a better system for all involved parties, but also eases the workload 
of the derivatives by reducing the differences derivatives have to 
maintain themselves.

 1: http://dex.alioth.debian.org

The DEX project complements the already existing Debian derivatives
front desk [2] by organizing cross-distribution working groups and
projects to monitor and merge changes from derivatives into Debian
proper. In DEX, developers from both Debian and derivatives work
side-by-side to merge changes into Debian. A first working group is the
DEX Ubuntu Team [3], targeting to integrate packages and changes
available in Ubuntu back into Debian, continuing the work of the 
already existing Utnubu Team on a more general level. A gNewSense DEX 
Team is also expected in the near future: "If you can't measure it, it 
doesn't exist, especially when you measure numbers of defects you want 
to fix. Arguably, most of the deltas between Debian and its derivatives 
need to be fixed, by merging them back into Debian. DEX has the 
potential to host a number of cross-distro initiatives that will 
measure and ultimately reduce existing deltas among Debian and its 
derivatives." Stefano Zacchiroli (Debian Project Leader and co-founder 
of DEX) explains about this project.

 2: http://wiki.debian.org/DerivativesFrontDesk
 3: http://dex.alioth.debian.org/ubuntu/

The Debian Project invites all Debian based distributions and other
projects to join the DEX project and work together on a common base.  
As Matt Zimmerman (Chair of the Ubuntu Technical Board and co-founder 
of DEX) says: "If you want to see Debian benefit from technical work 
done in derivatives, DEX is a chance for you to act together to make 
it happen. If you work on a derivative and want to carry a smaller 
delta, come and join us. I'm sure we'll learn a lot from this 
experience."


About Debian
------------

The Debian Project was founded in 1993 by Ian Murdock to be a truly 
free community project. Since then the project has grown to be one of 
the largest and most influential open source projects.  Over three 
thousand volunteers from all over the world work together to create 
and maintain Debian software. Translated into over 70 languages, and 
supporting a huge range of computer types, Debian calls itself the 
"universal operating system".


Contact Information
-------------------

For further information, please visit the Debian web pages at 
http://www.debian.org/ or send mail to <press@xxxxxxxxxx>.


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