Use github stale bot to close old inactive issues

[mion00]

Is there an existing feature request for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Your feature request

There are quite a few issues that have been open for years, without a label associated and with seemingly no activity in the thread (for instance sorting by least-recently updated I get this #739).

Solution

I would like to propose this Github action that may help to tidy up old issues that do not have any recent activity.

• We could configure it so that issue with some specific labels do not get closed down by accident (I am thinking of skipping bug and enhancement, since are useful to keep open until the bug is resolved or the feature request has been implemented)
  • We can run it initially in dry-run mode, to make sure that the configuration is correct and no issue gets closed by accident
• We could configure the amount of time before marking the issue as stale, and if still there is no activity happens, it can automatically close them.
  • We could be a bit prudent initially and start with a generous 6 month stale period to start, and tweak it as time goes by.

[acockburn]

Hehe, yes, as you have seen, I have been diving in to try and get back on top of things. Moving forwards, a way to stay on top would be appreciated. I agree - bug and enhancement are where I tend to park things for later and they shouldn't get deleted. Question/Waiting response mean its with the person who opened the issue, and it might be possible to be more aggressive with these - if someone is interested enough to create an issue but won't respond to further requests for info, I think we should close the issue after say a month, maybe 2, with an invitation to re-open if they ever get the info. If all of that can be automated it would be very welcome. Anything else, maybe close after 6 months of inactivity, again with an invitation to re-open. I should/will do a better job of tagging issues moving forwards.

[mion00]

Ok just to summarize a plan:

• bug, enhancement: keep open
• question, waiting response: after 1.5 months send notification of closure, if nothing happens after 2 weeks close.
  Closure message: "Please re-open this issue whenever you have new information available"
• everything else: after 6 months send notification of closure, if nothing happens after after 2 weeks close.
  Closure message: "Please re-open the issue whenever you have new information available "

[acockburn]

Yes, perfect.

[acockburn]

Can we add a label "pending_close" or something after the warning? Message ID: ***@***.***>

[mion00]

By default it applies a label stale, then if no activity occurs it closes. Would you like to change the name?

[acockburn]

That works!