REQUESTSYNC(1)

NAME
requestsync - helper to file sync requests for Ubuntu

SYNOPSIS
requestsync [-d distro] [-nse] [-k keyid] <source package> [target release] [base version]
requestsync --lp [-nse] <source package> <target release> [base version]
requestsync -h

DESCRIPTION
requestsync looks at the versions of <source package> in Debian and Ubuntu and prompts for an explanation of why the Ubuntu changes (if there are any) should be dropped. The changelog entry is then downloaded from packages.debian.org, and the sync request bug is filed in launchpad. Alternatively, the sync request can be filed by GPG-signed email (option --email).

requestsync checks if you have the permissions to request the sync from the archive administrators directly by checking if you have upload permissions for that package through package set permissions or component permissions. If you don't have upload permissions, the script will subscribe the necessary team with approval rights to the bug report for you.

This check is only performed if requestsync is allowed to use the LP API (not email submission). In the other case requestsync relies on that you answer the question about upload permissions honestly to determine if a team with approval rights is to be subscribed to the bug.

If you have permission to upload the package directly, then you may prefer to use syncpackage instead to copy the package using the Launchpad API. At some future point, requestsync will be changed to do this automatically.

requestsync uses launchpadlib authentication to file its requests.

OPTIONS
Listed below are the command line options for requestsync:

-h  Display a help message and exit.

-d  Specifies which Debian distribution a package should be synced from. Default is unstable.

-n  Specifies that the package is a new package, and requestsync should not attempt to look it up in Ubuntu since it will not exist.

-k <keyid>
    Specifies your GPG key. This is only used if the sync request is mailed to Launchpad.

--email
    Use GPG-signed email to file the bug, rather than launchpadlib.

-s  Specifies that you require sponsorship. You need this option if you don't have upload permissions for that package. This disables the upload permissions check described above.

-C  Allow changelog to be manually filled in when missing. requestsync gets Debian changelogs from packages.debian.org, which isn't in sync with the Debian archive. To request a sync before the changelog is available, pass this option, and provide the changelog entries yourself.

-e  Use this flag after FeatureFreeze for non-bug fix syncs. requestsync will subscribe ubuntu-release team instead of sponsorship team.

-l INSTANCE, --lpinstance=INSTANCE
    Use the specified instance of Launchpad (e.g. "staging"), instead of the default of "production".

--no-conf
    Do not read any configuration files, or configuration from environment variables.

<source package>
    This is the source package that you would like to be synced from Debian.

<target release>
    This is the release that you would like the source package to be synced into. This should always be the latest development release of Ubuntu.

[base version]
    In some cases, the base version (where the Ubuntu package started differing from the Debian package) cannot be automatically determined. Specify this option in this case.

ENVIRONMENT
requestsync uses the following variables which should be set in your shell's configuration by adding export VARIABLE= lines, where VARIABLE is one of the following:

UBUMAIL, DEBEMAIL
    Specifies which email should be used when sending to Launchpad.

All of the CONFIGURATION VARIABLES below are also supported as environment variables. Variables in the environment take precedence to those in configuration files.

CONFIGURATION VARIABLES

REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_SERVER
    Set which SMTP server to use when sending mail. If unspecified this defaults to launchpad's SMTP servers (the eventual destination).

REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_PORT
    Sets which port of the SMTP server to use. Default is 25.

REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_USER and REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_PASS
    Sets the username and password to use when authenticating to the SMTP server.

REQUESTSYNC_USE_LPAPI
    Setting this to no is equivalent to running with --email.

REQUESTSYNC_LPINSTANCE, UBUNTUTOOLS_LPINSTANCE
    The default value for --lpinstance.

REQUESTSYNC_KEYID, UBUNTUTOOLS_KEYID
    The default value for -k.

SEE ALSO
rmadison(1), syncpackage(1), ubuntu-dev-tools(5)

AUTHOR
requestsync and this manual page were written by the Ubuntu MOTU Team.

Both are released under the GNU General Public License, version 2.