Openrct2: Need new release instructions for Debian Bullseye

[alercah]

OS: Debian Linux
Version: Bullseye
Commit/Build: N/A

The provided installation instructions do not work on Debian bullseye. add-apt-repository is no longer able to add PPAs, it seems because it relies on apt-key which is now deprecated. I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out how to add the PPA repository key to my keyring to no success, and have given up.

Additionally, advising users to install Ubuntu packages on Debian is bad advice. Please make Debian-specific builds and provide a distribution mechanism that supports Debian properly.

[alercah]

I tried downloading the package manually, but it will not install because libzip5 is not available in Debian.

[Gymnasiast]

Additionally, advising users to install Ubuntu packages on Debian is bad advice. Please make Debian-specific builds and provide a distribution mechanism that supports Debian properly.

Our development resources are already stretched. We have to prioritise what our users need and what we want ourselves (it's a project developed in our spare time, after all). And Debian does not make it very easy either. If this is genuinely bad advice, I can remove any mention of the PPA from the Debian instructions and just tell the users to compile OpenRCT2 themselves.

Seeing as we're open source, the best way to ensure Debian is properly supported is adding support yourself. We would gladly accept the offer.

[gibmat]

This is a bit serendipitous.... I've just recently picked up an old Debian bug to properly package openrct2 (https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=808945). Hopefully it won't be too long before it's available via a simple apt install openrct2.

[gibmat]

An update on my end: I'm waiting for a sponsor to review my package for Debian (since I'm not a DD/DM). Once that happens the package will hit the NEW queue for review by the ftpmaster team, after which it will land in unstable. Following the standard migration schedule, the package will then be promoted to testing after a few days. If it reaches testing by Feb 12, it will officially be a part of the bullseye release, otherwise it will land in bookworm (but could be backported to bullseye).

In the meantime, I have uploaded amd64 packages for both buster and bullseye to my personal apt repository that people are welcome to use: https://apt.calenhad.com/. Just remember that this is an unofficial Debian repo, and while I believe the packages should work properly, there's no warranty that it won't break your computer.

[janisozaur]

@gibmat that's great news! Many thanks for that, keep us posted.

[alercah]

Awesome, I'll try to give them a trial sometime in the next week or two then!

[alercah]

Seems to work for me!

[janisozaur]

@gibmat how does a package reach testing? Is there any way to track progress or help with it? What's the policy once it's in Debian, are the packages there ever updated with new releases? We release ~quarterly, much more often than Debian's cadence.

[gibmat]

@janisozaur since this will be a new package for Debian, it needs to go through the following steps:

1. A Debian Developer needs to sponsor the package for upload to the Debian "unstable" repository. This progress is tracked through Debian's bug tracker (https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=979592); this is where the package is currently in its progress to inclusion in Debian. If you know of a DD who would be willing to sponsor, point them to that bug. Otherwise, there's a group of volunteer DDs that work through the sponsorship queue.
2. After a sponsor upload, the package will be placed into the NEW queue for manual review by the ftpmaster team (https://ftp-master.debian.org/new.html). This is required for first-time package uploads (and a few other cases) and serves as a secondary quality check as well as review of the copyright information to ensure packages comply with Debian's Free Software Guidelines (https://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines).
3. Once passed through the NEW queue, the package will land in "unstable". Barring any reported release-critical bugs or issues with some automated quality checks, the package is then promoted to "testing" after 2-10 days, depending on the upload priority. (It will be five days for this package.)

Once the package is in testing, a couple things will happen:

1. If it lands before the bullseye soft freeze (https://release.debian.org/bullseye/freeze_policy.html), whatever version is there will become part of the bullseye stable release. If it is not in testing by Feb 12th, it won't be part of the baseline bullseye release.
2. Since Debian prioritizes stability, packages in stable don't get major version bumps or new functionality during that release lifetime (with some notable exceptions like web browsers). But, there are backports (https://backports.debian.org/) to provide updated versions of software to the stable release.
3. Backporting is basically rebuilding a package from testing for the current stable release. For example, say openrct2 doesn't reach testing until March 1 (so too late for bullseye, but would be part of bookworm), immediately following the bullseye release I would prepare a backport for bullseye to make it easily available for all bullseye users.

My personal plan is to keep the package version in testing closely up to date with openrct2 releases, as well as making backports for the current stable release. That should keep the version of openrct2 available in Debian nice and fresh.

[gibmat]

As of today, with the bullseye soft-freeze one week out, it’s very unlikely that OpenRCT2 will land in time to make the bullseye release. I will continue to update OpenRCT2 in my personal repository until the package makes it to Debian proper. I’ll build for both buster and bullseye for the duration of their lifetimes.

[tupaschoal]

As of today, with the bullseye soft-freeze one week out, it’s very unlikely that OpenRCT2 will land in time to make the bullseye release. I will continue to update OpenRCT2 in my personal repository until the package makes it to Debian proper. I’ll build for both buster and bullseye for the duration of their lifetimes.

Thanks for doing this effort and keeping us posted, it's great! Let us know if you need help

[gibmat]

Thanks for doing this effort and keeping us posted, it's great! Let us know if you need help

Of course! Now that the initial package is done, there's not much needed to keep it up to date. I'll keep building and publishing my builds until it reaches Debian's repos.