Re: [Inkscape-devel] Turning off gitlab's "Allow users to request access"?

14 Jan 2018

      On Sun, Jan 14, 2018 at 04:39:17AM +0100, Maren Hachmann wrote:
...
Could someone add a link to the info about how to join/participate to
the README?
After following a detour via 'CONTRIBUTING', which would be a symlink
locally, but just had a path printed inside on gitlab, I found a
description here:
https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/blob/master/doc/HACKING.txt
I think that file also needs an update, telling users *how* to 'request
access' now that the option via button is closed.
(what would have been the issue with just declining any non-contributor
join requests? Not being able to add an explanatory note? Perhaps make
this a gitlab feature request?)
Right, there is no explanation included in the requests.  So there's not
an easy way to tell if someone has contributed patches, whether they've
been accepted, or etc.  I suspect no one getting these notices knows
what to do with them, so they've been just piling up; I sometimes do
some sleuthing around to see if the individual has done anything with
Inkscape, but it's time consuming to chase down their contribution
history from scratch.  The only practical way that applying works is if
the applicant has been working with a developer and that developer knows
they're applying for access -- in which case the developer can just add
them directly, no need for the applicant to also click the button.
We had a similar problem with Launchpad, although there it had a
feedback form to send the applicant an email directing them as to what
they'd need to do.  Also, in LP it was a bit fewer clicks to identify
what they did for Inkscape, although it was still ambiguous if they'd
gone through the proper process.
You are right that this could use better documentation.  The HACKING
file is a good start.
In general, I think most people who need commit access will be hooking
in enough with the project and the rest of the developers that someone
will help them get it, without needing a lot of structure.  (If they're
not hooked in to that level, well might not be a good candidate for
giving commit rights anyway...)  So I think for now, just having people
ask on the inkscape-devel@ list or IRC for commit access is going to be
sufficient, basically similar to how we handle wiki access.
I don't know if it is worth bothering asking for our process as a gitlab
feature request, as we may be kind of unique with this.  In any case I
suspect it's not that hard for us to implement some web UI ourselves to
accomplish the same goal, if it really bothers us.
Blue sky, maybe someday we could have some sort of unified membership
access request form, to request wiki access, commit access, travel
sponsorship, et al.  And a corresponding administrative side page to
review/comment/approve applications.  It would be nice if that app had a
way to programmatically tell if the user had fulfilled whatever
requirements are set for access (i.e. the 2-patch rule, length of time
in the project, etc.)  If anyone wishes to work on such a web form, I
can share further ideas, but I think we can handle things manually for
the time being.
Bryce
...
Maren
Am 14.01.2018 um 03:29 schrieb Bryce Harrington:
...
I've proceeded ahead and made this config change to gitlab.
Let me know if anyone spots any issues with this change.
Bryce
On Sat, Jan 13, 2018 at 09:10:59AM -0800, Bryce Harrington wrote:
...
On Sat, Jan 13, 2018 at 09:32:03AM +0100, Marc Jeanmougin wrote:
...
No objection from me, sounds nice (I did not know we could remove the
button^^); what I tried to do at some point was to give "Guest" role to
those users (which does not grant any right)
I also wondered about establishing an Inkscape Users subgroup that
people could voluntarily add themselves to.  (This might be worth doing
regardless, particularly if we have some utility for it beyond just
affiliation.)
Bryce
...
On 01/13/2018 06:28 AM, Bryce Harrington wrote:
...
There's a setting "Allow users to request access" on our Inkscape main
group (https://gitlab.com/inkscape).  I'd like to switch it to 'off'.
Are there any objections if I did this?
This setting adds a button to our website for logged in users to push to
send an email to our admins asking for membership to the inkscape main
group.  The effect of this gives them commit access on the inkscape repo
(and I suspect maybe other git repos in subgroups; I'm not sure how the
permissions propagate.)
This was useful initially when everyone was needing gitlab access, but I
think all the existing committers that want it have it.  These days the
requests we're getting are mostly from people with no registered
activity related to Inkscape; we've been getting a handful of these
invalid requests each month.  Maybe they're clicking it on accident, or
thinking that it's an affiliation mark, and not realizing that it gives
full commit rights if granted.
Turning it off simply removes the button, it wouldn't mean any change to
our existing policies regarding earning of commit rights - applicants
still need to get two patches reviewed, accepted, and landed and then
contact one of the administrators to request access.  (If we want to
make this simpler later on, maybe one day we can rig up a form where
they can enter the SHAs of their two patches.)
Bryce

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