Discuss, Define and be Transparent with the openSUSE-Community

Hi,

The SUSE Linux Enterprise Team is acknowledging the openSUSE community needs for a better and transparent collaboration with SUSE. We have now a momentum to think and be different.

The symbiosis between SUSE Linux Enterprise and openSUSE is real, we share so much more than just code, we use the same tools like Open Build Service, openQA, similar maintenance processes, people (Release Managers, contributors, etc) and more.

We might have been a bit quiet in the past but that doesn’t mean we didn’t evolve; over the years, we have created more bonds like Package Hub, foster our contribution with SLE Factory First Policy for SUSE employees and our Technology Partners, be more accessible during our development phase with the SLE Public Beta Program, just to name a few examples.

But now we have a momentum to accelerate, especially with regard to being more transparent with our defects and feature requests for the benefit of the openSUSE distribution and community. So we heard you, and today we want to clarify and improve processes, for all of us, and give some inputs on SUSE internal discussions about kicking out the so called “closed doors”.

So without further ado, here is our action items:

• Refresh and create openSUSE wiki pages for processes clarification
  • Luboš Kocman has already started with documenting the process in place for retrieving SLE Feature Requests and his plan is to present a real and better feature process for external contributors by October or sooner.
  • We will also review and improve “how to contribute , openSUSE Leap development phase” to clarify and formalize information that existed for years, but was not documented.
  • Create new page about our “SLE Factory First Policy”, and potential maintenance and quality assurance topics.
• Talk more openly about openSUSE and SLE relationship,
  • “Current and Future strategy for openSUSE Leap” and “Jump! Current state and upcoming changes” during openSUSE virtual summit.
  • Upcoming topic in the “How SUSE Builds its Enterprise Linux Distribution” blog post.
  • A talk about “relationship in between SLE and openSUSE” at the Virtual SUSECon.
• Find the proper way to open our bugzilla.suse.com
  • SUSE is fully committed to protect our customers and partners private data hosted in our tool like Bugzilla. They trust us with their highly sensitive data, so we approach this topic very seriously. However thanks to the full handover of the Bugzilla instances from MicroFocus to SUSE, we now have full control over Bugzilla thus we can now discuss how to change our processes internally to combine data privacy and openness.
  • A group has been formed (Vincent Untz, Anna Maresova and Vincent Moutoussamy) to drive this project internally and will be in charge of discussing the proposal with all stakeholders including the openSUSE community of course.
• Special attention to openSUSE 15.2 (and future) Leap bug reports
  • Last but not least, Luboš Kocman, openSUSE Leap Release Manager, is committed to review, triage openSUSE Leap 15.2 bugs and feature requests (create a bug for openSUSE Leap 15.2), and escalate to SLE Product and Release Manager.

We believe this is an exciting and ambitious plan, and we hope to share more concrete information as soon as possible.

In the mean time, do not hesitate to engage with the presenters of “openSUSE and SLE” talks, Luboš obviously, and feel free to comment or send us your feedback here in this thread.

Stay tuned, stay home, stay safe and stay green.

The SUSE Linux Enterprise Team