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When a Debian Developer uploads a package to sid (not a new package, just a version update to an existing one), how long does it take for that package to be merged into Ubuntu's repositories?

Does it depend on the Ubuntu repository it is destined for (e.g. core/universe)? Does it depend on whether there have been Ubuntu-specific changes in the past?

From what I have read, it seems that there is a cron job on the Ubuntu package servers which regularly pulls packages from Debian, but I haven't been able to find any information about how frequently it runs. (I have also seen that there is a Debian Import Freeze window when this is commented out - how would I know when this is?)

quisqueyano
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  • This is very package specific. My own system (running hirsute) contains many packages that are more up-to-date than my Debian sid box. Packages are updated in the development cycle at specific times, a large number usually come early after release time... but that's a development release (and packages sourced from Debian; some are sourced elsewhere, ie.git directly for many packages found on my system). It's more specific than just repository you mention.. Ubuntu & Debian freeze dates never match, so it'll vary on cycle each is in.... – guiverc Dec 18 '20 at 04:18
  • From what I see, it depends on which is the least work... A recent discussion I watched on IRC was devs talking about when it was too late to push into Debian, or would they push first to Ubuntu, and push the updates to Debian later (which may re-flow into Ubuntu anyway.. ie. wasted work except that Ubuntu got it sooner than the Debian cycle would have achieved)... It'll vary on where the cycles (Debian/Ubuntu..) are, and what occurs on week/month may not other times of the year. – guiverc Dec 18 '20 at 04:22
  • I looked up packages.ubuntu.com using the last package I looked up for a support request here (UF or IRC; I forget), and that package was not sourced from Debian... Your question isn't specific to any package (by example), and it varies on package, as the Ubuntu repositories are filled from many sources. – guiverc Dec 18 '20 at 04:27
  • Thanks for the links - if not all packages are sourced from Debian, is there a way that I can check for any given package where it is sourced from?

    And for the ones that do come from Debian, how fast do they come into Ubuntu if no Ubuntu-specific changes are made?

     – quisqueyano Dec 18 '20 at 05:00
  • I already mentioned https://packages.ubuntu.com/ (but was without the https:// that made it recognized as a link). – guiverc Dec 18 '20 at 05:08
  • Thanks, I have opened that link and read the "Ubuntu Changelog" for a number of packages. It looks like if a package has "ubuntu" in the version, then it cannot be automatically taken from Debian. – quisqueyano Dec 18 '20 at 05:13
  • However, it looks like the packages that I am interested in are taken directly from Debian. So knowing how long that would take, assuming no special cases, would be very helpful. – quisqueyano Dec 18 '20 at 05:14
  • I don't know what package you're talking about.. rather than pick one I'd like to look up, i picked the last package I looked up in support in a prior comment and it was not sourced from Debian. You should provide a specific package that can be used as example, rather than a broad statement that cannot be accurately answered. It'll still be a somewhat generic answer, but the IRC discussion I talked about was between two Ubuntu flavor devs who are also Debian DMs thus their purpose of reducing their own workload. – guiverc Dec 18 '20 at 05:17
  • A vague opinion on a unspecific package. Assuming no freezes anywhere, I'd expect a couple of days for the source code to make it to Ubuntu, but it could also take another couple of days before the source code is built and the package actually makes it to a new daily image. If however the package relies on others, that process can span out extra few days and even more if related to a complex set of packages (ie. deps on other GTK3 or Qt packages which all get updated together, otherwise won't build.. they can sit extra week+ waiting for all to be built).. If freezes are involved add... – guiverc Dec 18 '20 at 11:37
  • Had you provided a package, I'd have likely answered with something like (for gnome-shell) which is 3.38-2 on both my debian & ubuntu systems, https://changelogs.ubuntu.com/changelogs/pool/main/g/gnome-shell/gnome-shell_3.38.2-1ubuntu1/changelog and https://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs//main/g/gnome-shell/gnome-shell_3.38.2-1_changelog and https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1908161 ... GNOME/GTK3 packages come in as a group (they need to build together), but the Ubuntu one has other patches the Debian doesn't yet have so isn't a great example.. – guiverc Dec 21 '20 at 11:31
  • I mentioned a discussion by devs in Ubuntu unspecified flavor channels & pushing updates thru Debian (and thus into Ubuntu repositories; they are devs of Debian too). I noticed those changes awhile (many days) ago on my Debian system but they haven't reached this hirsute system yet (which I expected). It's not a team I work with so I don't monitor it that closely (my own team don't push thru Debian but get from upstream project directly) but times vary as I've already stated. (my use of days was vague; and double-digit days to me is still days; couple was probably unfortunate) – guiverc Jan 01 '21 at 01:12

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