IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Debian's Git Transition

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Painful Current Packaging Workflows

Debian's existing tools like quilt, source packages, and builds are widely criticized as cumbersome and outdated, deterring contributors.
"At the moment, it is nothing but pain if one is not already accustomed and used to building Debian packages" -mschuster91.
"I ultimately burned out in large part because of how painful Debian's tooling makes everything" -agwa.

2. Support for Git Transition

Users strongly endorse shifting to Git for source management, viewing it as essential for viability and simplicity.
"This seems like nothing short of necessary for the long term viability of the project" -Valodim.
"The whole patch quilting thing is awful. Just keep the patches as commits" -cryptonector.

3. Source Tarballs vs. Git Clones

Debate on reproducibility, with critiques of tarballs (prone to tampering) favoring verifiable Git builds, though offline requirements complicate it.
"I really wish all the various open source packaging systems would get rid of the concept of source tarballs" -amluto.
"Debian requires that packages be able to be built entirely offline" -sillystuff.

🚀 Project Ideas

GitDeb Builder

Summary

  • A CLI tool that automates creating, building, and testing Debian packages directly from upstream Git repositories, handling chroots, dependencies, and local repos without deep packaging knowledge.
  • Core value: Makes local Debian package builds "trivial" for authors, as requested, reducing pain for occasional users and easing path to official inclusion.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Upstream developers authoring non-Debianized software, aspiring Debian maintainers
Core Feature gitdeb build <repo-url> [version] fetches repo, generates debian/ dir skeleton, resolves deps via pbuilder/mock, builds/tests in chroot, outputs .deb and local apt repo
Tech Stack Go/Rust CLI, pbuilder/schroot, git, apt, Salsa CI integration
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • "it is nothing but pain if one is not already accustomed... even get a local build of a package working" (mschuster91); "these tools are not easy to remember, specially for the occasional use" (kakwa_).
  • HN would love the practicality for quick prototyping; sparks discussions on pkgsrc vs Debian workflows.

DebBTS Web

Summary

  • A modern web frontend for Debian's Bug Tracking System (BTS) with account-based following, search, spam filtering, and one-click actions, syncing bidirectionally with email backend.
  • Core value: Fixes clunky UX, spam, and no-account issues, enabling easy interaction without memorizing commands or graylisting hoops.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Debian users, maintainers, reporters frustrated with email-only BTS
Core Feature Web dashboard for bug search/follow/close, email alias integration to avoid spam, XDG-compliant CLI (reportbug wrapper), real-time updates via WebSockets
Tech Stack React/Next.js, Node.js backend, IMAP/SMTP for BTS sync, PostgreSQL, deployed on Salsa
Difficulty High
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • "following a bug requires... Send an empty email... Wait 15-30 minutes... never got the confirmation" (agwa); "impossible to use the BTS without getting spammed... horrible UX" (csnover).
  • High utility for community; would ignite debates on email vs web trackers, boost participation.

PatchGit Migrator

Summary

  • A Git toolset for Debian maintainers to convert quilt patch queues to linear Git commit histories, automate rebasing onto upstream Git tags/commits, and export back to source packages.
  • Core value: Streamlines Git transition by ditching "patch quilting" for native Git workflows, preserving patch history and enabling easy collaboration.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Debian maintainers transitioning from quilt/pristine-tar to full Git
Core Feature patchgit import converts debian/patches to commits; patchgit rebase-upstream <upstream-tag> rebases with conflict bisecting; patchgit export-deb generates source package
Tech Stack Python/Git porcelain extensions, gbp-pq integration, git-rebase with custom hooks
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium (core free, pro for teams/CI)

Notes

  • "The whole patch quilting thing is awful. Just keep the patches as commits" (cryptonector); "if Debian did it themselves then adding a local commit would be truly trivial" (cryptonector).
  • Addresses core transition pains; practical for 1000s of packages, fosters HN threads on Git vs quilt forever.

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