[MPlayer-dev-eng] [FFmpeg-devel] [RFC] roots duties and rights

[Ronald S. Bultje]

Hi,

On Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 7:23 AM, Michael Niedermayer <michaelni at gmx.at> wrote:
> Duties:
> * Keep the system running smoothly so all "users" can do their work.
>  -Keep the system secure so its not hacked
>  -Recognize problems early and take preemtpive action, aka a mail to
>   the MLs with "we only have 100 mb space left in incoming" for example
>  -Replace hardware when it fails, search for possible donations on ML/IRC
>   ask the foundation to fund hw where needed.
>  -Install security updates quickly
>  -Make regular backups and store them off site, keep past backups so
>   undetected corruption does not make them useless
> * Do all the administrative things that normal users dont have the right to
>  and that havnt been delegated to volunteers.
>  - Create mailinglists that are related to the project when requested by the
>    project leader
>  - Open and Close SVN/GIT accounts if requested by the project leader (root can
>    not reject such requests)
>  - Install software that is requested by project members for their work with
>    the FOSS projects
>  - Open SSH accounts for project members when their FOSS-project related work
>    needs such account
>  - help with forgotten passwords after the user proofes his identity
>  - Root shall attempt to work on requests approximately in order and not ignore
>    requests for months
>  - Root shall in case of ambiguity of a request ask instead of guessing.
> * Have plans in place for total hardware failure (fire / earthquake / ...)
> * Have plans in place for the system being successfully hacked
> * Root must not involve itself deeply in any of the hosted projects, that is
>  to ensure roots impartiality and avoid conflict of interest
>  This conflict of interest exists both in form of making decisions as root
>  to favor ones personal preference in a project. As well as participating
>  in project internal discussions while implicating ones authority.
> * Each project shall have its own incoming directory and who has access to
>  move and delete files from this directory shall be the project leaders
>  decission. Its each projects duty to move files out of there.
> * Root must have public GPG keys and they must be published where users can
>  easily find them. These keys checksums must be available in SVN/GIT of the
>  hosted projects so that people who work with the code have means to verify
>  roots (and the developers) public GPG keys.
> * Root must before expiration of the previous SSL key either generate SSL keys
>  signed by an upstream CA or put self signed SSL keys signed with their
>  gpg key on the webpage and ML

Before I give my opinion I would like the current root team (including
Mans) and members of our project that have shown significant interest
to co-root (e.g. Vladimir) to give their opinion on this list of
requirements and in general what you'd expect the work and rewards of
this (voluntary) job to be.

After all, anyone can make a list. Only few of us do or will actually
fill this role. They should be our primary concern.

Attila, Mans, Diego, Vladi, others?

Ronald