path: root/english/devel/tech-ctte.wml

#use wml::debian::template title="Debian Technical Committee" BARETITLE="true"
#use wml::debian::toc

<p>The Technical Committee is established by the
<a href="constitution">Debian Constitution</a>, section 6.  It is the body
which makes the final decision on technical disputes in the Debian project.
</p>

<toc-display/>

<toc-add-entry name="referquestions">How to refer a question to the committee</toc-add-entry>

<ol>

<li>Before referring a decision to the Technical Committee, you should try
    to resolve it yourself.  Engage in a constructive discussion and try
    to understand the other person's point of view.  If, after discussion,
    you've identified a technical question which you can't agree on, you
    can put it to the committee:
</li>

<li>Write up a summary of the disagreement, preferably agreeing it with
    your opponent, and send it to the bug tracking system
    <em>as a new bug</em>, against the pseudo-package <tt>tech-ctte</tt>.
    In your summary mention any relevant existing bug numbers and mailing
    list archive urls.
</li>

<li>Send an email to all relevant parties inviting them to subscribe to the
    bug.  If there are existing bug(s) open about the
    issue, set the new tech-ctte bug to block them (but if you don't know
    how to do this, don't worry - we will do it for you.)

<li>The committee will discuss your question in the tech-ctte bug.
    We will generally not CC discussion to individual participants,
    unless we invite them into the conversation to ask them a specific
    question.  Everyone who is interested in the issue should subscribe
    to the bug using the BTS.

<li>The committee will aim to make a decision as soon as possible.  In
    practice this process is likely to take many weeks, or perhaps
    longer.  If the question is particularly urgent please say so.
</li>

<li>Sometimes, one side or other is convinced, during the committee's
    deliberations, by the merit of the other side's arguments.  This is a
    good thing!  If it happens, the committee need not make a formal
    decision, and the bug report can be closed, or reassigned, as appropriate.
</li>

</ol>

<h3>Some caveats about contacting the committee</h3>

<ul>

<li>A sound and vigorous debate is important to ensure that all the
    aspects of an issue are fully explored.  When discussing technical
    questions with other developers you should be ready to be challenged.
    You should also be prepared to be convinced!  There is no shame in
    seeing the merit of good arguments.
</li>

<li>Please conduct your technical discussions with other maintainers
    in a calm and civilised way; do not use insults, or question their
    competence.  Instead, address yourself to your opponents' arguments.
</li>

<li>The committee is only empowered to make technical decisions.  If
    you feel that someone has been misbehaving, the committee probably
    can't help you much.  You may wish to talk to the Project Leader,
    <tt>leader@debian.org</tt>.
</li>

<li>The bug traffic will also appear on the committee mailing list,
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/">debian-ctte@lists.debian.org</a>.  Anyone else who wishes to do so may subscribe to
    the debian-ctte mailing list and see our deliberations.  But please
    do not send messages relating to specific issues directly to the
    list.
</li>

<li>To post to the committee mailing list you must either be
    subscribed to the list from your posting address, or PGP-sign your
    message.  This is an anti-spam measure.  We apologise for the
    inconvenience, but this setup makes it possible for committee
    members to pay proper attention to the committee list mails.
</li>

</ul>

<toc-add-entry name="membership">Membership</toc-add-entry>

<p>The current membership of the committee is documented on the
<a href="$(HOME)/intro/organization#tech-ctte">\
Debian Organizational Structure</a> page.
</p>

<toc-add-entry name="status">Archives and status</toc-add-entry>

<p>The <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/">committee mailing list
is archived</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?pkg=tech-ctte">Questions pending decision</a>
can be reviewed in the bug tracking system.</p>

<toc-add-entry name="repository">VCS repository</toc-add-entry>

<p>The TC sometimes uses its
<a href="https://salsa.debian.org/debian/tech-ctte">\
shared git repository</a>
for collaboration.</p>

<h3>Formal technical decisions, including recommendations and advice</h3>

<p> The decision history sections are not necessarily up to date.
  (<a href="https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?pkg=tech-ctte;archive=yes">Older
  questions and decisions</a> can be viewed in the bug tracking
  system.)</p>

<ul>
  <li><a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2019/03/msg00001.html">2019-03-05</a>
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/914897">Bug #914897</a>:
    decline to override the <a
    href="https://wiki.debian.org/Debootstrap">debootstrap</a>
    maintainer's decision on enabling "merged /usr" by default on newly
    installed systems. The decision also clarified the desirable
    solution on "merged /usr" status at the time of Debian
    Bullseye's release.</li>
  <li>
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2018/11/msg00004.html">2018-11-13</a>
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/904302">Bug #904302</a>:
    any use of dpkg's vendor-specific
    patch series feature is a bug for packages in the Debian archive
    and such feature will be forbidden in the Debian archive after the
    release of Debian Buster.</li>
  <li>
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2018/02/msg00004.html">2018-02-16</a>
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/883573">Bug #883573</a>:
    repeal the decision made on 2014-11-15 in
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/746578">Bug #746578</a> and
    set the libpam-systemd package's dependencies free from
    specific ordering constraints.</li>
  <li>
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2017/07/msg00006.html">2017-07-31</a>
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/862051">Bug #862051</a>:
    repeal the decision made on 2012-07-12 in
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/614907">Bug #614907</a> and
    allows nodejs package to provide /usr/bin/node in
    backwards-compatibility arrangements.</li>
  <li>2015-09-04
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/741573">Bug #741573</a>:
    adopt the changes to policy regarding menu
    entries proposed by Charles Plessy, and additionally resolves that
    packages providing desktop files shall not also provide a menu
    file.</li>
<li>2015-06-19
  <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/750135">Bug #750135</a>:
    encourage Christian Perrier to implement his
    proposal for maintenance of the Aptitude project.</li>
<li>2014-11-15
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/746578">Bug #746578</a>:
    systemd-shim should be the first listed alternative dependency of
    libpam-systemd instead of systemd-sysv.</li>
<li>2014-08-01
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/746715">Bug #746715</a>:
    maintainers are expected to continue to support the
    multiple available init systems.</li>
<li>2014-08-01
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/717076">Bug #717076</a>:
    the default libjpeg implementation should be libjpeg-turbo.</li>
<li>2014-02-11
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/727708">Bug #727708</a>:
    the default init system for Linux architectures
    in jessie should be systemd.</li>
<li>2013-03-06
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/698556">Bug #698556</a>:
    the maintainer of isdnutils is overruled to require the
    inclusion of code to create isdn devices by isdnutils.</li>
<li>2012-12-21
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/688772">Bug #688772</a>:
    overrules the dependency of meta-gnome
    on network-manager while concerns raised in <a
    href="https://bugs.debian.org/681834#273">§4 of the
    decision in #681834</a> remain unaddressed.</li>
<li>2012-10-05
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/573745">Bug #573745</a>:
    decline to change the maintainer
    of python packages in Debian.</li>
<li>2012-09-14
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/681834">Bug #681834</a>: gnome-core
    should Recommends: network-manager; override maintainer.</li>
<li>2012-08-24
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/681783">Bug #681783</a>: Policy on
    Recommends is correct; Recommends is fine in metapackages.</li>
<li>2012-08-14
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/681687">Bug #681687</a>:
    evince's lack of mime type entry for PDF is RC bug
    (decline to overrule release team).</li>
<li>2012-07-12
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/614907">Bug #614907</a>:
    nodejs must use /usr/bin/nodejs, node must change
    to ax25-node and provide /usr/sbin/ax25-node, and
    transition packages and legacy packages defined.</li>
<li>2012-04-05
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/640874">Bug #640874</a>: decline to
    override policy maintainers. debian/rules must be a Makefile.</li>
<li>2012-03-21
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/629385">Bug #629385</a>:
    dpkg-buildpackage will implement build-arch testing using make -qn.</li>
<li>2012-02-27
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/607368">Bug #607368</a>: decline to
    override the kernel maintainer team's ABI numbering policy.</li>
<li>2012-02-05
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/658341">Bug #658341</a>: multi-arch
    enabled dpkg may be uploaded to experimental and unstable by Raphaël
    Hertzog without waiting for primary maintainer code review.</li>
<li>2010-12-01
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/587886">Bug #587886</a>:
    lilo should remain in unstable. Matt Arnold and Joachim
    Wiedorn are to be joint maintainers of lilo.</li>
<li>2009-09-04
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/535645">Bug #535645</a>:
    decline to override ftp team's removal of ia32-libs-tools;
    reaffirm ftp team's ability to remove packages;
    recommend clarification of reasons for removal,
    and mechanism of reintroduction to the archive.</li>
<li>2009-08-27
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/510415">Bug #510415</a>:
    allow Qmail into Debian after fixing delayed-bounce
    issue with RC bug to block transition for one month</li>
<li>2009-07-30
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/539158">Bug #539158</a>: refuse to
    override udev maintainer; printf suggested to be documented as a
    required builtin in policy.</li>
<li>2009-07-25
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/484841">Bug #484841</a>: by
    default, /usr/local is not writable by group staff; change can be
    implemented after transition plan which enables administrators to
    keep the current behavior.</li>
<li>2007-12-10
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/412976">Bug #412976</a>:
    keep current behavior and existing policy regarding mixmaster's use of /etc/default.</li>

<li>2007-06-22
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/367709">Bug #367709</a>:
    a libstdc++ udeb should not be created.</li>

<li>2007-06-19
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/341839">Bug #341839</a>:
    the output of <code>md5sum</code> should not change.</li>

<li>2007-04-09
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/385665">Bug #385665</a>:
    <code>fluidsynth</code> remains in main.</li>

<li>2007-04-09
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/353277">Bug #353277</a>,
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/353278">Bug #353278</a>:
    <code>ndiswrapper</code> remains in main.</li>

<li>2007-03-27
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/413926">Bug #413926</a>:
    <code>wordpress</code> should be included in etch.</li>

<li>2004-06-24
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/254598">Bug #254598</a>:
    <code>amd64</code> is a fine name for that architecture.
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2004/debian-ctte-200406/msg00115.html">Full text</a>.
    In favour: Wichert, Raul, Guy, Manoj, Ian.
    Voting period ended early; no other votes.</li>
<li>2004-06-05
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/164591">Bug #164591</a>,
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/164889">Bug #164889</a>:
    <code>md5sum &lt;/dev/null</code> should produce the bare md5sum value.
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2004/debian-ctte-200406/msg00032.html">Full text</a>.
    In favour: Guy, Ian, Manoj, Raul.
    No other votes.</li>
<li>2002-10-06
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/104101">Bug #104101</a>,
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/123987">Bug #123987</a>,
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/134220">Bug #134220</a>,
    <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/161931">Bug #161931</a>:
    The default kernel should have VESA framebuffer support included.
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2002/debian-ctte-200211/msg00043.html">Full text</a>.
    In favour: Ian, Jason, Raul; against: Manoj.
    No other votes.</li>
<li>2002-07-19 <a href="https://bugs.debian.org/119517">Bug #119517</a>:
    Packages may sometimes contain binaries whose libraries are only
    referred to in Suggests.
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2002/debian-ctte-200207/msg00017.html">Full
    text</a>.   In favour: Ian, Wichert; against: Bdale,
    Manoj; no-one else voted and Ian used his casting vote.</li>
</ul>

<p>NB that decisions from before the 1st of April 2002 are not yet
recorded here.</p>

<h3>Formal nontechnical and procedural decisions</h3>

<ul>
<li>2015-03-05 Approved Sam Hartman, Tollef Fog Heen and Didier Raboud as
    candidates for the committee.
    (<a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2015/03/msg00023.html">Full
    text</a>.  In favour: Don, Bdale, Andreas, Colin, Steve, Keith.
    Appointment approved by the DPL 2015-03-08;
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2015/03/msg00003.html">Full
    text</a>).</li>
<li>2013-11-07 Approved Keith Packard as member of the technical committee (<a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2013/11/msg00041.html">resolution</a>)</li>
<li>2011-08-24 Approved Colin Watson as member of the technical committee (<a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2011/08/msg00004.html">for appointment</a>)</li>
<li>2009-01-11 Approved Russ Allbery and Don Armstrong as members of the technical committee (<a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2009/01/msg00053.html">summary</a>)</li>
<li>2006-04-11 Elected Bdale as chair (<a href=https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2006/04/msg00042.html>for vote</a>)</li>
<li>2006-02-27 Elected Steve as chair (<a href=https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2006/02/msg00085.html>for summary</a>)</li>
<li>2005-12-20 Approved Steve Langasek, Anthony Towns and Andreas Barth
    as candidates for the committee.
    (<a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2005/12/msg00042.html">Full
    text</a>.  In favour: Bdale, Manoj.  Expressions of support,
    with apologies, after end of the voting period: Ian, Raul.
    None against or abstaining;  Appointment approved by the DPL 2006-01-05;
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-project/2006/01/msg00013.html">Full
    text</a>).</li>
<li>2005-12-20 Proposed the removal of Wichert, Guy, and Jason
    from the committee.
    (<a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2005/12/msg00000.html">Motion text</a>; <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2005/12/msg00028.html">results</a>.  In favour: Manoj, Raul.  Guy: in favour of his own removal; no opinion otherwise.  Ian: in favour of removal of Jason; against otherwise.
    Removal approved by the DPL 2006-01-05;
    <a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-project/2006/01/msg00013.html">Full
    text</a>.)</li>
<li>2002-07-05 Passed the question of proper use of bug system
    severities (<a href="https://bugs.debian.org/97671">Bug #97671</a>)
    on to the BTS admins and project leader.
    (<a href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2002/debian-ctte-200207/msg00002.html">Full
    text</a>.  In favour: Ian, Jason, Bdale; none against or abstaining.)</li>

<li>2002-01-31 Appointed Ian Jackson as chairman, following Raul's
    resignation from the post.  (In favour: Dale, Ian, Manoj, Raul, Wichert;
    none against or abstaining.)</li>

</ul>

<p>NB that decisions from before the 31st of January 2002 are not yet
recorded here.</p>

<toc-add-entry name="retiredmembers">Retired members</toc-add-entry>

Thanks to the following people who have served on the committee in the past:

<ul>
<li>Gunnar Wolf (2018-01-02 - 2022-12-31)</li>
<li>Niko Tyni (2017-06-21 - 2022-12-31)</li>
<li>Elana Hashman (2020-05-28 - 2022-07-31)</li>
<li>David Bremner (2017-04-13 - 2021-12-31)</li>
<li>Margarita Manterola (2016-07-07 - 2021-12-31)</li>
<li>Phil Hands (2016-04-16 - 2020-12-31)</li>
<li>Tollef Fog Heen (2015-03-05 - 2019-12-31)</li>
<li>Didier Raboud (2015-03-05 - 2019-12-31)</li>
<li>Keith Packard (2013-11-29 - 2017-12-31)</li>
<li>Sam Hartman (2015-03-08 - 2017-11-09)</li>
<li>Don Armstrong (2009-09-11 - 2016-12-31)</li>
<li>Andreas Barth (2006-01-04 - 2016-12-31)</li>
<li>Steve Langasek (2006-01-04 - 2015-12-31)</li>
<li>Bdale Garbee (2001-04-17 - 2015-12-31)</li>
<li>Colin Watson (2011-08-24 - 2015-03-05)</li>
<li>Ian Jackson (to 2014-11-19)</li>
<li>Russ Allbery (2009-01-11 - 2014-11-16)</li>
<li>Manoj Srivasta (to 2012-08-12)</li>
<li>Anthony Towns (2006-01-04 - 2009-01-05)</li>
<li>Raul Miller (to 2007-04-30)</li>
<li>Wichert Akkerman (to 2006-01-05)</li>
<li>Jason Gunthorpe (to 2006-01-05)</li>
<li>Guy Maor (to 2006-01-05)</li>
<li>Dale Scheetz (to 2002-09-02)</li>
<li>Klee Dienes (to 2001-05-21)</li>

</ul>