[Ubuntu] UbuntuGIS - Google Summer of Code - packaging Java based OSGeo applications

Tue Jun 11 14:12:18 PDT 2013

Alex,
I defer to your deeper experience with packaging, and agree that your 
analysis and suggestions make sense.

On 12/06/13 07:03, Alex Mandel wrote:
> Cameron,
>
> Thats a tricky dependency issue, we are likely to opt to use 12.04 
> instead of 13.04 because Ubuntugis is not up to date. But many people 
> who try OSGeo-Live might then actually move to trying on 13.04. So in 
> my mind making sure existing already packaged projects are up to date 
> takes precedence over things that have never been deb packaged and 
> might be hard to create deb packages for. Even prioritizing Java stuff 
> first I have no expectations that even a fraction will be done in time 
> for OSGeo Live 7. However focusing on Debian/Ubuntugis current 
> packages I expect all of those will be ready in time for either 12.04 
> or 13.04.
>
>
> So I disagree with you and agree with Alan on this plan. Having 
> working QGIS, GRASS, Postgis etc that all work together correctly is 
> more important to me than Java projects being apt-get installable.
>
> Thanks,
> Alex
>
> On 06/11/2013 01:52 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
>> Alan,
>> Re Java packaging, our biggest hurdle is there seems to be very few
>> people with java packaging experience, which is why it would be very
>> valuable to have someone research what is required, and set out a
>> roadmap for others to follow.
>>
>> If we were to focus on java packaging for OSGeo-Live 7.0 (to be released
>> at foss4g 2013), then I'd suggest that java packaging should be focussed
>> on first, in order to give java projects time to help out. (I'm
>> expecting there to be quite a bit of research and discussion with
>> projects required). This would likely be at the expense of other
>> packaging efforts.
>>
>> So while I'd love to see the java packaging issues worked out as the
>> primary goal, if we are to follow up with your schedule (which is a good
>> plan), I expect that java packaging will need to wait for a few more
>> releases. (Maybe a focus for a future GSoC project)
>>
>> On 12/06/13 03:41, Alex Mandel wrote:
>>> +1
>>>
>>> I agree that we should 1. make sure Debian (and therefore Ubuntu) are
>>> up to date on existing packages, 2. create instructions, workflows and
>>> tools to make it easier to maintain (and bring in new maintainers, 3.
>>> then move on to other ideas.
>>>
>>> For those who haven't seen the plan
>>> https://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/project/google/gsoc2013/jlarouche/16001 
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Alex
>>>
>>> On 06/11/2013 05:40 AM, Alan Boudreault wrote:
>>>> Hi Cameron,
>>>>
>>>> I'm really for the java packaging effort. One of the difficulty I 
>>>> see is
>>>> that as its mentor.. I do not have any java packaging experience. This
>>>> is something Jérome will have to learn by himself and any 
>>>> collaboration
>>>> with other devs will be appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> However, before doing any java packaging stuff, I'd like to follow to
>>>> the GSoC plan. When everything is update and that we have a working
>>>> debian stable repository... we are going to start this effort.
>>>>
>>>> Is it ok with you?
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Alan
>>>>
>>>> On 13-06-07 05:45 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
>>>>> Jerome, Alan,
>>>>>
>>>>> We discussed ideas about Jerome's contribution toward OSGeo-Live 
>>>>> in our
>>>>> OSGeo-Live weekly meeting yesterday and we see this summer-of-code
>>>>> project as an excellent opportunity to tackle one of the difficult
>>>>> packaging issues we have had to date. Namely, the packaging of java
>>>>> based applications.
>>>>>
>>>>> Historically, java packaging into ubuntu has been difficult, largely
>>>>> due
>>>>> to osgeo projects being dependant upon Sun Java, and Debian packaging
>>>>> OpenJDK. We the last OSGeo-Live release, we successfully moved all
>>>>> applications on OSGeoLive across to OpenJDK, so we should be in a 
>>>>> good
>>>>> position to start packaging these java based applications.
>>>>>
>>>>> The other part of the problem, is that java projects usually don't 
>>>>> have
>>>>> much expertise in debian packaging (because they have not been doing
>>>>> it), and debian packagers have not had much experience with java 
>>>>> (again
>>>>> because they have not been working with it).
>>>>>
>>>>> What we really need is someone to work out how to bring these two
>>>>> processes (and communities) together by doing to hard work of working
>>>>> out what is required. Jerome's summer of code project provides an
>>>>> excellent opportunity to make a big difference in this regard.
>>>>>
>>>>> So I'd like to propose:
>>>>> 1. Jerome's primary focus should initially be on working out how to
>>>>> package java applications into debian based systems (such as 
>>>>> UbuntuGIS)
>>>>> 2. Start packaging the key java based applications. (I can introduce
>>>>> you
>>>>> to key java developers and projects to ask questions of)
>>>>> 3. I suspect we should start with the Geotools library first, then
>>>>> GeoServer (which is used by a number of other applications), then 
>>>>> other
>>>>> java based applications (depending on which projects step up to work
>>>>> with Jerome)
>>>>>
>>>>> Jerome, Alan,
>>>>> How does that sound for an idea?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 06/06/13 02:47, Alex Mandel wrote:
>>>>>> On 06/05/2013 09:22 AM, Alan Boudreault wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> As some of you may already know, we got a OSGeo Google Summer of 
>>>>>>> Code
>>>>>>> slot for UbuntuGIS. I'd like to introduce Jérome Vileneuve
>>>>>>> Larouche (a
>>>>>>> student at The University of Québec at Chicoutimi) You may already
>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>> seen his name on the list since he was working part time with
>>>>>>> Mapgears
>>>>>>> during the last year. As the mentor of the project, I'm going to 
>>>>>>> work
>>>>>>> with Jérome to update and improve UbuntuGIS.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The main goals of the project is to:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> - Train the student to be comfortable with debian/ubuntu packaging.
>>>>>>> - Provide the UbuntuGIS-Stable Upgrade (biannual upgrade)
>>>>>>> - Provide packages for Ubuntu Raring.
>>>>>>> - Update UbuntuGIS unstable packages with all latest softwares
>>>>>>> (Collaborate and contribute to DebianGIS)
>>>>>>> - Collaborate with the user on the mailing list to be aware of the
>>>>>>> known
>>>>>>> issues and  provide new package and/or fixes
>>>>>>> - Provide upstream patches to various osgeo projects.
>>>>>>> - Create a new repository for debian stable (7.0) with all current
>>>>>>> up-to-date packages
>>>>>>> - Create more documentation for users and new contributors. 
>>>>>>> (Howtos,
>>>>>>> tutorial)
>>>>>>> - Collaborate with the OSGeo LiveDVD project (more packaging for
>>>>>>> their
>>>>>>> setup?)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We would be happy to hear comments/suggestions from the 
>>>>>>> community to
>>>>>>> improve UbuntGIS.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Best Regards,
>>>>>>> Alan
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Awesome. I look forward to more Howtos to help us train more 
>>>>>> people to
>>>>>> become maintainers of packages.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> As a member of UbuntuGIS, and OSGeo Live I'll be happy to help
>>>>>> coordinate between the 2 projects.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>> Alex
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> UbuntuGIS mailing list
>>>>>> Ubuntu at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu
>>>>>> http://trac.osgeo.org/ubuntugis/wiki
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>

-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Solutions Manager
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

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