The news are collected on http://wiki.debian.org/DeveloperNews
Please contribute short news about your work/plans/subproject.

In this issue:
+ 3-way merge of debian/changelog files
+ Pending security issues now shown in PTS pages
+ DEP-3 updated for compatibility with git format-patch
+ debian-devel and ITPs
+ wiki.debian.org bugstatus

3-way merge of debian/changelog files
————————————-

A new script doing smart 3-way merges of Debian changelog files has been
announced[1]. Git can be configured to use it automatically, and will
thus avoid the usual conflicts generated by the standard line-based
merge.

— Raphaël Hertzog

[1] http://www.ouaza.com/wp/2009/10/08/3-way-merge-of-debian-changelog-files/

Pending security issues now shown in PTS pages
———————————————-

Thanks to a patch by Raphael Geissert, the PTS
(http://packages.qa.debian.org) is now properly integrated with the
security tracker (http://security-tracker.debian.net): packages pages
will show the number of pending security issues (if any) that should be
addressed for a given source package.

— Stefano Zacchiroli

DEP-3 updated for compatibility with git format-patch
—————————————————–

The recently announced Patch Tagging Guidelines[2] have been updated for
better compatibility with git format-patch and other VCS exchanging
changesets as mails. Please consider using this format and feel free to
share your comments on its usage.

— Raphaël Hertzog

[2] http://dep.debian.net/deps/dep3/

debian-devel and ITPs
———————

At DebConf9 there was a discussion about making the debian-devel list
more useful. Towards that end, here is a quick reminder of the
recommendations in the developers reference section 5.1[3]. Please do not
sent ITPs for multiple packages to debian-devel, instead, please file the
ITPs and send a summary to debian-devel afterwards. This is especially
true for multiple packages that are related in some way.

— Paul Wise

[3] http://www.debian.org/doc/developers-reference/pkgs.html#newpackage

wiki.debian.org bugstatus
————————-

The Debian wiki now uses some JavaScript to update wiki pages containing
DebianBug:123456 links such that closed bugs are differentiated from
open bugs by a strike through. In addition, the mouseover title is set to
the bug status + fixed versions + bug number + bug subject. This feature
was initiated and coded by Max Vozeler (mvz) of the debian-installer
team, who wanted to use it on their squeeze goals[4] wiki page.
Implementation details can be found in the git repository of the Debian
wiki team[5]. The wiki team are also looking for someone to design dead
bug and live bug icons[6] that can be used to replace the normal
interwiki icons. If you would like to help convert existing bugs on the
wiki to DebianBug:123456 links, please see the list of wiki page
candidates for DebianBugification[7].

— Paul Wise

[4] http://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/SqueezeGoals
[5] http://wiki.debian.org/Teams/DebianWiki
[6] http://art.debian.net/?ccm=/media/thread/24
[7] http://lists.debian.org/debian-www/2009/08/msg00154.html

– Raphaël Hertzog