Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

Just having extras-devel enabled is dangerous, you could accidently install unstable updates over stable extras software.

From the Extras-devel wiki page:
Basically this means (to me) as developer that it's perfectly ok to upload stuff to extras-devel just to make deploying it for testing on my _own_ hardware easier.

Now, imagine someone has a stable version of my software, fooblamatic, version 1.6.2, installed from extras, and also has the extras-devel repository enabled.

I find some cool undocumented feature in the API which would make fooblamatic foobla twice as fast. (It might also make the device explode.) I upload a new version 1.6.3, using this feature, to extras-devel, in order to deploy it on my testing farm of 13 N900's. Unfortunately, certain someone who has the stable version, accidently also updates the new version to his phone among updates to other software...

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

1. The problems with installing from extras-devel and extras-testing are routinely hysterically overstated.

2. The problem with optification is much less than it was a few months ago.

3. "Bricking" originally meant turning your phone into a brick. That did not mean going into a reboot loop. It meant, time to send the device back to Nokia. So 95% of the talk you hear about a phone being "bricked" is just untrue -- it can be flashed and fixed and is not truly bricked.

4. Flashing is a good thing. The only BAD thing about flashing is that currently you have to do two types of flashing to get a clean phone, for most people. So you have a large number of newbies who have a hard time getting their heads around one type of flashing and they are supposed to understand two types. On top of that, there are complications with flashing with Windows 7, which should not have been a surprise to Nokia.

Those are my dangerous thoughts for the time.

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

agree with your post above :) , but...

I dont think a developer needs to put his untested stuff onto extras-devel.
In most cases the developer can test it on his device by making his own deb or ssh'ing into the device.
Personally I only upload to extras-devel after Im satisfied with my personal testing and being almost sure that it doesnt "brick" a device.
One can then choose to keep it in devel until a few volunteers try and report any issues the developer missed.
Once the confidence levels are better, this can be promoted to testing.

Point Im stressing on is , one doesnt need to upload something to devel to do either basic/full testing of a package.
In an ideal world all will follow this.

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

ok how about this.
I have not enabled devel however, there are many apps i do not want to install (from extras and testing) because i'm affraid it will drain battery.
Is there a restriction for how heavy an app works as a service, (bad example since its in devel, fMMS) in extras considering battery usage?
I'm not talking about normal usage such app running, but service running. Am i understandable? :D

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

I don't think so either, and I don't really do it myself. However, since it doesn't seem to be disallowed, it might happen.

Also, if someone has managed to gather a larger group of voluntary alpha testing users for his software / port, extras-devel might be the simplest way to distribute the updates to that group. This might include software that is not necessarily dangerous, but simply not ready for technically non-advanced end user.

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

Reboot loop is a brick equivalent for 90% of the world's population.

I can't blame them, in a reboot loop state the device doesn't give instructions how to download and operate the flasher. They paid for it, they expect it to work, if it doesn't, it goes back to the shop.

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

@ geneven

1) Agree.
2) Agree to a point, although rootfs is still too small and certain Nokia installed packages could need some shrinking/moving.
3) This is why I specified what I ment, as both usages of the word is used around here, and...
4) Can't completely agree on the flashing part. I don't think it's a good thing to reflash a device, change a light bulbs or replace a broken car part. I think not having to do that would be a good thing. But if you've gotta, you've gotta.

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

Objective examples, please, for extras-devel. Thanks in advance.

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

Application manager –> Application catalogs –> New
Catalog name: Maemo Extras-testing
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-testing/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

I haven't added this repository, but if I was just to peek, how much trouble would I really be in?

Re: Why is devel so dangerous?!
 

You can peek as long as you remove the repository without updating any packages. No damage done.

It's a bit like going through a candy store, though.

Anyway, I have a fairly good impression about the quality in extras-testing. This is completely subjective for me, though.