From Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch>  Thu Mar 16 08:02:03 2000
From: Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch> (Martin Maechler)
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 09:02:03 +0100 (MET)
Subject: [Rd] Attachments with bug reports: PLEASE don't
In-Reply-To: <200003160435.FAA26315@stat.math.ethz.ch>
References: <200003160435.FAA26315@stat.math.ethz.ch>
Message-ID: <14544.38139.84527.599335@lynne.ethz.ch>

Dear Gregory,
you'v sent a bug report (PR#489) to R-bugs
with the subject
  "r-base_1.0.0-1_i386.deb install problem (PR#489)"

you end saying

>> I've attached both the modified control file, and a complete debian
>> package which is identical to the original except for this change.
>> 
>> -Gregory 
 
and then you have a 5 MB attachment, filename "r-base_1.0.0-2_i386.deb"
base64 encoded.
{and hence (size!) the automatic forwarding of the bug report to R-devel
 is bounced --- that's how I got it}.

Now, please  (everyone!)

     >>>> --------------------------------------- <<<<
     >>>> stop using attachments in R bug reports <<<<
     >>>> --------------------------------------- <<<<

1) the attachments become practically unusable once the bug report is 
   put in the jitterbug archive,
      http://bugs.r-project.org
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2) Bug reports should usually be short (up to at most a few hundred lines, IMO)
   
3) If you (really) need to provide long files for data or such,
   make them available via FTP or HTTP from your site..

---

However, thank you for sending useful bug reports!
	 ---------
This way you are becoming part of the ``R culture''
which as most Open Source / Free Software projects
relies on wide collaboration.

Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch>	http://stat.ethz.ch/~maechler/
Seminar fuer Statistik, ETH-Zentrum  LEO D10	Leonhardstr. 27
ETH (Federal Inst. Technology)	8092 Zurich	SWITZERLAND
phone: x-41-1-632-3408		fax: ...-1228			<><
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[Rd] Attachments with bug reports: PLEASE don't
Martin Maechler