Becoming a Debian developer

A Debian developer enjoys several privileges not available to the regular user:

Debian uses democratic votes to gain consensus on open issues. Only developers may cast votes to influence decisions on such issues.

Debian developers have write access to the Debian archive and can upload ages at will. Without developer status, it is still possible to get your own pack-ages into the archive, but you need to have them sponsored by an existing de-veloper who does the actual upload.

Debian developers have access to thedebian-privatemailing list and #debian-privateIRC channels. These forums are only used to discuss internal or personal issues and are thus only of importance to developers. Or, put differently: as De-bian does not hide problems from its users (see appendix E), you are not deprived of any information by not being able to access these forums⁷¹.

For an enthusiastic contributor, who has been active in the Debian community for a while and managed to build up a reputation, it may be worth to consider apply-ing for Debian developer status. Among the chief reasons that speak for such an application would be a desire to influence the project by participating in the (infre-quent) votes. Having write access to the archive is only significant when previous contributions were continuously delayed as they had to wait for sponsors (active developers) to proxy the upload. Remember that plenty of ways exist in which contributions can be made without being a developer: accounts on collaborative platforms do not require developer status, and in many areas, contributions can be made without having to submit anything on a regular basis (such as user support and quality assurance). Access to the private discussion forums should probably not be counted as a reason to become a developer simply because these forums do not produce information relevant to the Debian system.

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71but you are guarded from endless flamewars about irrelevant topics and inter-developer frictions.

Preparing the application

To become a Debian developer, you have to go through a lengthy and elaborate process, and it is not possible to become a Debian developer “just like that,” for reasons related to prestige, or because you want a @debian.orgemail address.

Instead, you should be enthusiastic about the project, and be able to dedicate some of your time to it, now as well as in the future. An online article⁷² explains the process, in addition to the following pages.

The process of becoming a Debian developer consists roughly of the following steps and requirements, which are described in detail online⁷³:

Identification

To become a developer, you must possess (and know how to use) a GPG key, which has to be signed by at least one existing Debian developer. Anonymity is not tolerated among Debian developers. This step ensures that you are joining the project under your official identity.

Advocation

Before you will be considered as an applicant, an existing Debian developer has to advocate you and give elaborate reasons why you would be a worthy addition to the Debian developer team. The best way to find an advocate is by contributing to Debian and building up a good reputation. If the advocate is the same developer that signed your key, you will need another person’s signature before you can apply. This person need not be a developer but must be strongly connected to the Web of Trust. This is to avoid fake applicants that exist only in the imagination of the advocate.

Philosophy and procedures

You must have a thorough understanding of the philosophy of the Debian project, as outlined by the Social Contract (see appendix E) and the DFSG (see appendix F). It is also of utmost importance to understand and be familiar with the community. An applicant must have been actively immersed in the project before being considered. The Developer Reference⁷⁴is a crucial document in understanding the responsibilities and procedures of Debian project membership.

Tasks and skills

You must be familiar with Debian packages, and the Debian system as a whole. You must know the Debian policy (see chapter 5.7), understand its principles and reasons, and be able to apply it to situations and tasks. You should be familiar with the Debian infrastructure, the BTS, and the various

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skills of software development. It is not necessarily required to know how to write programmes in languages such asC, but it is almost certainly an advantage to be able to do so.

Leading up to your application, thedebian-mentorsmailing list will be one of the primary resources in learning about the development of the Debian system. Please make sure you read and act according to thedebian-mentors Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)⁷⁵, which also contains valuable information about the application process. In particular, it details the process of finding a sponsor for your package.

Obviously, you are also welcome to participate in discussions on other mailing lists (see chapter 10.4.1).

The Debian Women project hosts a mentoring programme designed to help inter-ested people learn more about developing for Debian in an applicatory and ex-ploratory way way. Active mentors are listed on the Web⁷⁶.

The application process

When you meet the criteria of a Debian developer, you can apply for developer status and become a New Maintainer (NM) (technically, you become an applicant, but these are commonly referred to as NMs).

Once you have applied, you can keep track of your application online⁷⁷. At some point, you will be contacted by an application manager, who will test your knowl-edge of the Debian project, its philosophies, and assess your skills related to Debian packages and the system as a whole. Make sure you are prepared and do not underestimate this assessment. You should also be able to provide a list of your contributions to Debian for reference. Note that this list does not have to be ex-tensive, but it should make it evident that you are interested in continuing to help the project, not just reaching developer status and then fading away. Also, it is of utmost importance to keep in mind thatyouwant to join the project. You should therefore try hard to minimise the application manager’s workload by providing well formulated and complete answers.

Waiting for DAM approval

If you manage to complete the assessment and have all other requirements in place, it is your turn to wait for approval by the DAM. Applications must be carefully verified before you are given developer status. This can take a long time, especially during times leading up to a release, when the developers are generally overloaded.

The Debian NM team is working hard to accomodate the increasing number of

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applicants, while maintaining the level of standards and quality required so as not to jeopardise the project and its operating system. The best advice to give is to apply only when you are ready, and to be patient. It will not help if you continuously ask people about your application status, and if you disappoint your application manager with lack of preparation, you are likely to be deprioritised.

Even though this may all sound painful and unnecessary, I do not want to discour-age you from applying. The NM process ensures that Debian developers are fully aware of their responsibilities, are capable of handling them, and are dedicated enough to not become a burden to the project. Only with rigorous procedures is the project capable of upholding the quality of its operating system, and the dy-namics of the community surrounding it. If you are sure that you want to become a Debian developer, then, by all means, apply. You are in for a rough ride, but the well-prepared, skillful, and patient applicants are the ones to harvest the ripe fruits.

The length of the NM process also ensures that only dedicated developers join the project as impatient or itinerant folks are weeded out by natural selection. If you contribute to the project while waiting for your developer account, you are making a strong point. If you are impatient, you are suggesting that maybe all you really want is adebian.orgemail address.