Editing Debian online with sources.debian.net

How cool would it be to fix that one bug you just found without having to download a source package? and without leaving your browser?

Inspired by github's online code editing, during Debconf 14 I worked on integrating an online editor on debsources (the software behind sources.debian.net). Long story short: it is available today, for users of chromium (or anything supporting chrome extensions).

After installing the editor for sources.debian.net extension, go straight to sources.debian.net and enjoy!

Go from simple debsources:

To debsources on steroids:

All in all, it brings:

• Online editing of all of Debian
• In-browser patch generation, available for download
• Downloading the modified file
• Sending the patch to the BTS
• Syntax highlighting for over 120 file formats!
• More hidden gems from Ace editor that can be integrated thanks to patches from you

Clone it or fork it:

git clone https://github.com/rgeissert/ace-sourced.n.git

For example, head to apt's source code, find a typo and correct it online: open apt.cc, click on edit, make the changes, click on email patch. Yes! it can generate a mail template for sending the patch to the BTS: just add a nice message and your patch is ready to be sent.

Didn't find any typo to fix? how sad, head to codesearch and search Debian for a spelling mistake, click on any result, edit, correct, email! you will have contributed to Debian in less than 5 minutes without leaving your browser.

The editor was meant to be integrated into debsources itself, without the need of a browser extension. This is expected to be done when the requirements imposed by debsources maintainers are sorted out.

Kudos to Harlan Lieberman who helped debug some performance issues in the early implementations of the integration and for working on the packaging of the Ace editor.

Rant: no more squeeze LTS

Following my blog post about Long Term Support for Debian squeeze, the news was picked up by Slashdot, Reddit (again), Barrapunto, Twitter, and Phoronix (in spite of their skepticism).

Over 300 persons, some representing their companies, contacted the security team since the news about the LTS came out - it all seemed like things were finally rrolling.

However, a few days before the coordination mailing list was setup, a not-so-friendly mail was received from a legal officer of a company that produces a RPM derivative with Long Term Support and paid support contracts. The company-that-can't-be-named from here on, due to trademark abuse.

Long story short: the Debian Squeeze LTS project has been boycotted and threatened. Unfair competition (antitrust law) has been brought up against the project, among other threats.

So, great move company-that-can't-be-named, you got it - there won't be LTS, it's been decided and the interested parties have been notified. Perhaps you want to take over the actual development?

Debian squeeze LTS

As announced in the "Bits from the Security Team" (LWN copy) email a couple of weeks ago, it is possible that Debian squeeze will have Long Term Support, primarily in the way of security updates.

The news have made it to Softpedia and reddit and even though it has not been announced how long it would be supported, what use cases are planned, etc., the answer I can give is that it depends solely on people contributing to it.

I'd like to add that no, the LTS announcement is not related to the use of Debian on the ISS laptops, as mentioned in reddit - at least not that we are aware of. And to avoid possible confusion from the Softpedia article, the plan is LTS for the squeeze release.

From the emails we have received in response to the announcement, I do wonder however where are the people who expressed interest and signs of engagement last time there was a discussion about providing LTS for Debian.

Perhaps it wasn't stressed enough in the email, but those who are interested in benefiting from (and therefore contributing to) long term support, please do contact the security team NOW.

After all, the clock keeps ticking and Debian squeeze is going to reach its End of Life in less than two months otherwise.