Bug in ports howto question

[Roman Neuhauser]

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# abowhill at blarg.net / 2003-11-24 22:44:04 -0800:
> On  0, Roman Neuhauser <neuhauser at bellavista.cz> wrote:
> :# barner at in.tum.de / 2003-10-28 01:43:19 +0100:
> :> On Mon, Oct 27, 2003 at 04:07:08PM -0800, kosmos wrote:
> :> > On Mon, Oct 27, 2003 at 11:36:48PM +0100, Simon Barner wrote:
> :> > > > What is the procedure to submit a new port when you don't have access to
> :> > > > a dedicated and highly-visible Freebsd machine on the internet?
> :> > > 
> :> > > You have to configure sendmail (or any other MTA of your choice) to use
> :> > > a proper mail server (e.g your ISP's) as a smarthost/mailrelay. Perhaps
> :> > > at least a reference to the according sendmail documentation should be
> :> > > added to the send-pr man page.
> :> > 
> :> > Yes, I tried installing a simpler MTA this morning.
> :> > 
> :> > I think it's asking too much to require sendmail configuration 
> :> > expertise from contributing porters. Sendmail configuration is
> :> > normally relegated to sysadmins that specialize in it.
> :
> :    then use a different MTA, one with proper documentation,
> :    configuration helpers, or digestible config file formats. there's
> :    plenty of them in ports. qmail bundled documentation contains
> :    precise description of steps required to produce a nullclient
> :    configuration, as does postfix documentation.
> 
> Thanks. I educated myself on this with the help of Simon Barner, who
> is doing documentation for the handbook on this problem. And it _is_
> a problem.

    Been there, got the scars. Actually the problem is not GNATS
    unavailable for submit with http (try browsing around
    http://bugs.guug.de/db/pa/lmutt.html - Oh. My. God.) or
    mx1.freebsd.org requiring one to have a working DNS and MTA
    configuration. The problem is Sendmail, its config files, its lack
    of documentation, and finally its position as a default MTA in
    FreeBSD.
 
> :> > The skill sets are mutually exclusive.
> :
> :    aha. you can't possess skill in both skiing and driving. the skill
> :    sets are mutually exclusive. eh?
> 
> Yep. Skiiing is not driving, and driving is not skiiing.
> They require mutually exclusive skill sets.

    Perhaps it's just my poor English (ESL speaker here, beware!) but
    doesn't "exclude" imply "to prevent the other from existing"? At
    least the online Merriam-Webster would make me believe so.
 
> :> > > > I wonder how many people just give up trying.
> :> > > 
> :> > > Good question. Every single volunteer giving up is a pity.
> :> > 
> :> > Yep. It happens and nobody is aware of it. The ports collection doesn't 
> :> > really benefit from decreased access for contributors.
> :
> :    is it that hard to have send-pr(1) save the PR in file instead of
> :    sending it out, and attach it to a mail in your favorite graphical MUA?
> :    you *are* able to reach @freebsd.org, after all.
> 
> As a matter of fact, that's what I did. And it really screwed things up.
> 
> My favourite graphical MUA (or someone's MUA) inserted quote characters
> in the PR, which mangled it. Then I tried to submit an attachment as an
> update to it, which got mangled by my favorite MUA, but accepted by
> GNATS. Then I sent in a uuencoded webmail attachment as a second update
> which seemed to work, at least if you remove the leading spaces. 
> 
> This is a problem, becuase the PR was a new port. Now nobody will touch
> the port becuase it looks too hard to deal with. So it will probably sit
> in GNATS for 6 months, until someone takes it upon themselves to clean
> it out. Then, I guess I can re-submit it.

    Just mail gnats-submit@ (or whatever's the correct address) with
    ports/#YOUR-PR-NR in subject and the correct patch attached.

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