EPEL package maintainer generic job description

This job description is designed to be inserted into an existing job description supplied by your employer or sponsoring organization. The purpose of this description is to help separate the individual from the role. In this way, you can ensure the longevity of package support without requiring that you (and only you) are capable of maintaining the package.

You might find this useful in cases where, for example, your employer is using an EPEL package in their infrastructure. In such a case, it is your duty to your employer and to Fedora to make sure that your package lives on in case you do not.

Generic Job Description

EPEL Package Maintainer

This role includes maintaining one or more packages through the Fedora Project. These packages are rebuilt in the Fedora Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repository (http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL). The list of packages is not specified here, because it may need to fluctuate over time, but a list should be maintained with the group manager/project lead.

This organization is under no obligation to maintain these packages beyond the organization’s desire to do so. All responsibilities undertaken are completely voluntary. If the organization desires to no longer support maintaining one or more packages in the future, its only responsibility is to follow the normal procedure to orphan a package.

In this role you are responsible for interacting with the packaging community in Fedora, following all guidelines and procedures specified by Fedora for building and maintaining packages, and interacting with the upstream of your package. The upstream of a package is usually the open source project that is producing the software being packaged. In some cases, your own organization may be or control the upstream project. A very important role in this position is being the conduit for patches, fixes, and updates from upstream that resolve security problems, fix bugs, and introduce new features.

The EPEL project synchronizes packages with specific release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. To maintain an EPEL package, you must help maintain the synchronization against at least the one specific version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Job Duties

  • Interact with upstream

  • Interact with Fedora and EPEL sub-group

  • Maintain package throughout the life of the associated Enterprise Linux

  • Provide security updates

  • Be active in the appropriate packaging communities

  • Follow all Fedora and EPEL guidelines, procedures, and rules

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