From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: linux-fsdevel-owner@vger.kernel.org Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2018 04:44:10 -0400 (EDT) From: Jaroslav Skarvada To: Pali =?utf-8?Q?Roh=C3=A1r?= Cc: linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org, util-linux@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, mpluskal@suse.com, base-system@gentoo.org, Andy Shevchenko , Karel Zak , Andreas Bombe , Andreas Bombe , Andreas Dilger , Richard Weinberger Message-ID: <510499199.34825028.1538469850257.JavaMail.zimbra@redhat.com> In-Reply-To: <20181002081654.jxesr3kj62snzez5@pali> References: <20180929084038.an6pfhnsd6tblejl@pali> <20181002081654.jxesr3kj62snzez5@pali> Subject: Re: Future of dosfstools project (FAT) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Sender: linux-fsdevel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: ----- Original Message ----- > On Monday 01 October 2018 22:13:41 Richard Weinberger wrote: > > On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 10:01 PM Andreas Dilger wrote: > > > If the current dosfstools maintainer is non-responsive, you could always > > > fork the project in GitHub, land the critical patches into your branch, > > > and make a release on your own. If the maintainer surfaces again, then > > > they can pull in your patches. If not, then you are the new maintainer. > >- > > I also recommend talking to package maintainers of major distros. > > Maybe one of them forked the project already and did what you plan to do. > >- > > In any case, let's try to avoid a drama like util-linux-ng was. > > Based on Richard's comment, I'm forwarding my original email (below) to > the Fedora, Suse and Gentoo maintainers. > > On Saturday 29 September 2018 10:40:38 Pali Rohár wrote: > > Hi! > > > > Last year I did some research how Windows and Linux tools handle FAT > > labels (boot sector vs root directory) and proposed some unification. > > More in thread: https://www.spinics.net/lists/kernel/msg2640891.html > > > > My proposed change for manipulating with FAT labels is now implemented > > in util-linux v2.33, prepared new mtools version, and also in dosfstools > > git (unreleased) https://www.spinics.net/lists/kernel/msg2645732.html > > > > Project dosfstools contains de-facto standard Linux userspace tools for > > FAT filesystems (mkfs.fat, fsck.fat, fatlabel) and so it is quite > > important because of high usage of FAT. > > > > But there was no new release of dosfstools since Jan 2017 and for more > > then month I'm unsuccessfully try to contact maintainer of dosfstools > > project (Andreas) about future of project itself. > > > > I do not know what happened, if either Andreas do not have time or > > something else... > > > > So does somebody know what is state of dosfstools project? > > > > Also there are lot of proposed changes (with patches) for this project > > https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools/pulls and also more reported > > bugs https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools/issues > > > > If Andreas does not have time, can somebody else at least look at pull > > requests and do some code review? > > > > I have some other unpublished/unfinished changes for dosfstools, but I > > do not know now if it make sense to invest more time in this project > > when maintainer does not respond... if this project is active or going > > to be dead... > > > > If dosfstools is going to be inactive/dead, there is still mtools > > project with provides FAT tools too and maintainer of it is now > > preparing new bugfix version. So at least some alternative exists. > > -- > Pali Rohár > pali.rohar@gmail.com > Hi, I am downstream maintainer of dosfstools in Fedora/RHEL. My personal opinion with such kind of projects is that one or two years without activity doesn't mean the project is dead. I don't know what happened with Andreas, but in case of no response my +1 for the GitHub fork. I think it's non offensive solution which can be easily reverted if needed. Please let me know if you do it thanks & regards Jaroslav