KDE updates should be available through normal repos rather than ppas

Yes. Indeed.

https://wiki.kubuntu.org/KubuntuKarmicPackaging
"We would like to include updates of KDE packages for our users for stable releases in the main archives. We already create these packages but we need to convince the tech board that they have enough testing to be considered stable enough for the main archives. Point release updates of KDE should go into -proposed then -updates and new releases into -backports. We will make a proposal to the tech board to decide if this can be allowed."

We actually did this for Kubuntu 8.10, but now the target is to get a standing permission for this package publishing flow.

For 8.10 a relese went like this: packaging => developer QA => publishing in PPA => user QA => uploaded to -propsed => more user QA => if everything is working well the packages got moved to -updates

This is, most likely what we want to use for 9.10 and all following releases, however, as stated in the quote, this requires permission from the Ubuntu tech board, which is not yet given.

I am closing this bug as Invalid in favor of the Blueprint at
https://blueprints.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/kubuntu-karmic-packaging
but also assign it to Scott Kitterman in case he wants to reopen it and keep it around until the policy was either accepted or rejected by the tech board.

Very well, I agree with all that.

If the same flow is to be followed for 9.10, I would request to setup one fixed PPA url.From my past experience PPA urls keep changing and sometimes updates to Amarok is available from one url and updates for other pieces available from some other url. This shouldn't be the case.

One PPA url should be available for getting point release updates for all KDE components (including Amarok, now that it has reached stability somewhat). People should be encouraged to file bug reports against PPA builds and once critical or blocker bugs are fixed in PPA builds, point releases should be rolled in into main repositories.

We are working on this.
For all new packages you would find them in a PPA of the team kubuntu-ppa...

experimental, backports, updates

Where experimental is for beta stuff etc., backports for stuff with considerable regression potential and updates for point releases.

However, this might grow to experimental, unstable, backports, updates since experimental applies to a large junk of packages (e.g. SVN snapshot of k3b as well as KDE). So unstable would be the choice for KDE pre-releases for example.

Also Bug #373197 should provide much smoother distribution methods, which apparently should go very well with some of the stuff proposed in the Ubuntu archive reorganisation.

So: yes, we need a reliable PPA scheme depending on stability, and we are in progress of establishing it already. Should also be ironed out for 9.10

Also we'll work on getting approvals needed to get updates into the official repositories. It turns out we need tech board approval for some of the stuff we want to do (Intrepid was an exception and so we need to get a policy change). This is on my TODO list.