Arch Linux in October 2023 #
Staff #
We would like to welcome Christian Heusel (gromit) to the Arch Linux DevOps team, expanding his responsibilities.
bugbuddy #
The initial version of Bugbuddy, our GitLab bug bot, has been introduced. This tool assigns package maintainers to confirmed GitLab issues in the packaging group. Notably, the code has undergone substantial improvement, now operating as a daemon process that can promptly respond to GitLab webhook calls.
dbscripts #
The db-remove command has been streamlined, eliminating the need to pass an
arch parameter by adding automatic resolution. Moreover, the db-update
command now properly checks staged packages against staging/testing, addressing
a loophole that previously caused state inconsistencies.
Additionally we’ve enhanced the development process by parallelizing test execution, massively reducing unit testing duration.
RFC #
In late 2021, an RFC was proposed to rename the Trusted User role to
Package Maintainer, aligning it with the role’s evolving nature within the
Arch staff. The RFC, voted positively in late 2022, has now resulted in the
successful renaming across various Arch resources, including the Packaging
Bylaws, ArchWeb, AURWeb, ArchWiki, and the “What can I do
for Arch Linux?” page.
ArchWiki #
The ArchWiki has been updated to MediaWiki 1.40, necessitating adjustments to the ArchLinux extension due to upstream changes in the Vector 2022 skin. This has prompted consideration of switching to the Timeless skin. Additionally, there has been a switch from PNG to SVG images in the wiki for article status templates and statistic histograms.
The wiki now features the addition of Extension:Thanks and Extension:DiscussionTools, offering users a streamlined way to express gratitude and heavily simplifying discussions on talk pages.
ArchISO #
The ISO now provides a /boot/grub/loopback.cfg file which GRUB and Super
GRUB2 Disk users can use to boot the ISO file without needing to manually
specify the kernel, initrd and kernel command line parameters.
Documentation on utilizing the loopback.cfg file is available both
upstream and on ArchWiki.