Governors!
Last year we made the desktop web runtime code be a part of the Firefox
module:
https://groups.google.com/d/topic/mozilla.governance/Ft3l9KP-R7w/discussion
But now I think we should make a new Desktop Runtime module for it.
Rationale
I originally suggested making the runtime be part of the Firefox module
because we're shipping it as a Firefox feature, and I thought it would
make sense to align ownership of the code with integration into the
product.
But in practice we've been developing it as a distinct project. There
are engineers who work on both, like Felipe Gomes and Tim Abraldes. But
most Firefox engineers don't work on the runtime, and most of the
runtime work is done by engineers who don't work on Firefox, like Marco
Castelluccio and me.
Communications channels are also distinct, with runtime engineering work
being discussed in #openwebapps, dev-webapps, and a variety of ad-hoc
meetings; while Firefox work is discussed in
#developers/#fx-team/#firefox, firefox-dev, and a weekly meeting.
And product management and drivery (i.e. bug triage and prioritization)
is distinct, done by Vishy Krishnamoorthy, Bill Walker and I for the
runtime.
So it's akin to Firefox for Metro: a semi-independent codebase and
project that ships with Firefox.
Details
If y'all agree to make a new module for the code, then I would take the
following steps:
1. put webapprt/ and toolkit/webapps/ into a new Desktop Runtime module
(where toolkit/webapps/, like browser/metro/, is a subdirectory of a
directory belonging to another module);
2. leave the file browser/modules/webappsUI.jsm in the Firefox module;
3. (with the ongoing permission of Firefox module owners) treat
webappsUI.jsm as an exception for purposes of review, giving runtime
reviewers the ability to review changes to it, even though they aren't
Firefox reviewers.
(In the future, I might shuffle files around to clarify the boundaries
between Firefox, Toolkit, and the Desktop Runtime; but that's a
separable concern that I would tackle in a technical thread distinct
from this governance one.)
I would also make myself the new module's owner, since I was responsible
for its initial design and implementation, have remained involved in its
ongoing development, and expect to continue doing so.
And I would make Marco, Felipe, and Tim its peers, as Marco has been
doing most of the recent engineering work, while Felipe/Tim have
remained involved as reviewers for some of Marco's changes.
-myk
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