Getting a Fedora package in EPEL

The procedure for getting a package in EPEL

If you are already a Fedora contributor, for your own package use the standard procedures for requesting a new release branch.

Otherwise, if you'd like to see a Fedora package in EPEL that is not yet available, check Fedora's Fedora database or Bugzilla and look up who owns the package in Fedora. Then check the Contributors Status document to see if the package owner is not interested in EPEL.

If the Fedora maintainer of the package has indicated a desire not to participate in EPEL then the proposed EPEL maintainer can request the branch directly via the standard procedures Package Change Request (e.g. via bugzilla currently). The proposed EPEL maintainer should CC the Fedora maintainer on the branch request, so the Fedora maintainer knows that the package is maintained in EPEL as well. Additionally, please note that that the Fedora maintainer is not interested in EPEL in your request.

If it is unclear if the Fedora maintainer of the package intends to participate in EPEL then the proposed EPEL maintainer should file a bug against the package and ask about their plans for EPEL in general and the package at hand. If there is no answer within seven days the proposed EPEL maintainer is free to request the EPEL branch and become the EPEL Maintainer (CC the Fedora maintainer here as well). Please note on your CVS request the number of the bug you filed. If the Fedora maintainer decides not to be active in EPEL they should be added to the CC list for all bugs so that collaboration can happen where a bug effects Fedora and EPEL.

If the Fedora maintainer later decides to participate in EPEL, Then the Fedora maintainer will become co-maintainer for EPEL. (Of course co-maintainership can be extended to Fedora).

Templates

You can use the following templates to contact fedora contributors who have not stated that they are not interested in EPEL.

Template 1

Hi!

There are people around that would like to see some of your Fedora
packages in Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux
(EPEL) [1]  -- I for example would like to see FOOBARBAZ in EPEL and
mainly send you this mail on behalf of the EPEL team as you didn't yet
let the team know via the Contributor Status [2]  page if you are
planning to build some or all of your Fedora packages for EPEL.

Are you interested in maintaining your packages in EPEL? EPEL is similar
to Fedora Extras -- just that EPEL is a add-on repo for RHEL and
compatible spinoffs such as CentOS. EPEL uses the same CVS and the same
build servers as Fedora and a lot of Fedora maintainers are EPEL
maintainers as well; the main difference is just that packages in EPEL
are updated more carefully and supported for a longer timeframe. See [3] 
and [4]  for details. In short: EPEL tries to ship a package once and
update it to later versions only when there is a strong need to.

For branching your packages for EPEL follow the standard Fedora
procedure[5]  -- instead of FC-6 or F-7 targets just use EL-4 or EL-5 as
branch names. If you maintain several packages (> 2) you can also use a
scripted branching method (all packages from a contributor) by using the
scripted branch process[6] .

If you are not interested in EPEL please let the EPEL contributors know
and update the information on [2]  to avoid further mails like this --
that just takes a minute or two and would be a great help for the EPEL
team. Please note that EPEL maintainers that might want to see your
package in EPEL will likely start to maintain the package in EPEL sooner
or later and thus become co-maintainers [7]  of your packages for EPEL.

The EPEL team appreciate your help with EPEL.

[1] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL

[2] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/ContributorStatus

[3] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/GuidelinesAndPolicies

[4]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/FAQ

[5] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageMaintainers/CVSAdminProcedure

[6] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/MichaelStahnke/ScriptedBranchProcess

[7] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Extras/Policy/EncourageComaintainership

Template 2

Attention $USER

Your packages <insert packages here> currently found in Fedora have
been requested for inclusion in Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux
(EPEL)[1] .  Thus far, while looking at our Contributor Status[2]  page,
we are unable to determine if you are planning to build your packages
for EPEL.

If you are interested in building, please follow the Branching
Procedure[3]  for EPEL.

If you maintain several packages (> 2) you can also use a scripted
branching method (all packages from a contributor) by using the
Scripted Branch Process[4] .

If you are not interested in EPEL or don't feel like you have the time
to put your packages into EPEL, the EPEL project would like to request
that a co-maintainer who is a part of EPEL be added to your packages.
To do this, please follow the co-maintainer process[5] .

We appreciate your help with EPEL.


The EPEL team

[1]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL

[2]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/ContributorStatus

[3]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageMaintainers/CVSAdminProcedure

[4]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/MichaelStahnke/ScriptedBranchProcess

[5]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Extras/Policy/EncourageComaintainership

Template for wishlist processing

Subject: Someone asked for foobar to be added to the EPEL repos

Hi!

It seems someone thinks having your Fedora package foobar
available in the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) [1] 
repositories would be a nice to have, as the package was added to the
EPEL wishlist [2] . As a result to that you get this semi-automatic
generated mail on behalf of the EPEL SIG. Please take a moment and read
through it; it contains instructions how to prevent similar mails in the
future.

If you don't know what EPEL is take a look at the bottom of this mail.
In short: EPEL is similar to how Fedora Extras was -- just that EPEL is
a add-on repo for RHEL and compatible spinoffs such as CentOS.

Are you interested in maintaining your Fedora packages in EPEL or are
you participating in EPEL already? Then please consider to branch the
package mentioned above for EPEL using the standard Fedora procedure [5] 
-- instead of F-7 or F-8 targets just use EL-4 or EL-5 as branch names.
Once you branched and build your package please remove it from the
wishlist [1] . If your packages requires other packages that are not yet
in EPEL please add them to the wishlist.

If you need help then feel free to ask on the EPEL developers mailing
list at [6]  or in the  #epel channel on the Freenode ICR network. For
example if you want to participate in EPEL but don't have a RHEL or
CentOS system around then just ask there for help -- with a bit of luck
you will find someone that checks if the packages you build for EPEL
work fine.

If you definitely are not interested in EPEL at all please let the EPEL
contributors know and add your Fedora Account Systems (FAS) username to
[7] . That takes just a minute or two should avoid further mails like
this. Please note that EPEL maintainers that might want to see your
package in EPEL will likely start to maintain the package in EPEL sooner
or later and thus become co-maintainers [8]  of your packages.

There are situations when bogus request make it onto the EPEL wishlist
-- if it for example makes no sense to have the package mentioned above
in EPEL please just remove it from the wishlist.


The EPEL SIG appreciates your help.
foo bar, on behalf of the EPEL SIG

Footnotes:

[1]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL

[2]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/WishList

[3]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/GuidelinesAndPolicies

[4]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/FAQ

[5]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageMaintainers/CVSAdminProcedure

[6]  https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/epel-devel-list

[7]  http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/ContributorStatusNo

[8] 
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageMaintainers/Policy/EncourageComaintainership

= What is EPEL =

EPEL is similar to how Fedora Extras was -- just that EPEL is a add-on
repo for RHEL and compatible spinoffs such as CentOS. As those are based
on Fedora most of the Fedora packages that didn't make it into the
Enterprise  distributions work there after a simple recompile or after
some small adjustments to the spec file.

A lot of Fedora maintainers are EPEL maintainers as well. EPEL uses the
same CVS and build servers as Fedora so it's easy to use for Fedora
contributers; the main difference is just that packages in EPEL are
updated more carefully and supported for a longer timeframe. See [3]  and
[8]  for details. In short: EPEL tries to ship a package once and update
it to later versions only when there is a strong need to. That similar
to how Red Hat does it for the package in its Enterprise Linux.

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