[Ubuntu] Fwd: [Live-demo] Packaging and project re-organization

[Andreas Tille]

Hi Angelos,

On Fri, Jan 03, 2014 at 12:17:06AM +0200, Angelos Tzotsos wrote:
> As per discussion on #osgeolive, we agreed to use the
> DebianGIS->UbuntuGIS->OSGeoLive ppa approach here, hoping we can get
> people to cooperate, instead of duplicating work.

+1
 
> >According to my experience those simple ways will create more work
> >afterwards as if done right in the first place.  "Everything should be
> >made as simple as possible, but not simpler. - A. Einstein"
> 
> Well, according to our experience in the OSGeoLive project, we would
> not have 60+ projects included if we did not accept very simple ways
> of installing  (in the form of shell scripts).
> I agree that packaging is the *right* way of installing software on
> GNU/Linux and I am happy to see that in our tonight's meeting we had
> many packagers present, offering to help. This is very good news...

As I wrote in my previous mail creating packages needs time but we
should target at the goal to replace the script installed projects step
by step by debs.

> >>Until now we
> >>have installation shell scripts for all the projects which is simple
> >>and easy to follow. Unfortunately deb packaging is not that
> >>simple...
> >I'd call this a wrong statement.  Have you any evidence for this?  I
> >think even writing down sentences like this is wrong since it might keep
> >people away from even trying.
> 
> We agree to disagree here.

:-)

> 50% of projects included in OSGeoLive was
> not able to provide deb files in the past, while all have provided
> shell installers. It is just not as simple with packaging rules,
> lintian etc.
> I also don't believe that stating that will drive people away, if
> they really want to learn they will stick to trying.

OK. We will never have any proof for either statement and so there
is no need to debate this.

> People will be
> more disappointed if you claim packaging is very simple and it takes
> them days to figure out how it works...

Well, it takes actually weeks and so my effort is called "Mentoring of the
*Month*":

   https://wiki.debian.org/DebianMed/MoM

If you try to start from scratch without help it might be hard but all
MoM students agreed that it is not that hard when getting help on a
practical example.

> When we started this discussion on the OSGeoLive meetings, many
> thought that packaging is going to complicate things and I was asked
> to provide a solution as simple as shell installers, thus FPM was
> proposed as an easy and practical solution.

As I said:  I do not know FPM and I can asure you I do not want to know
it - so I can not decide whether it is easy and practical.
 
> >>>[2] https://wiki.debian.org/DebianPureBlends/SoB
> >>>
> >>This proposal could just become obsolete if we manage to find
> >>volunteers to do all the Debian packaging for 30+ projects the
> >>proper way. That would be awesome.
> >I'd volunteer to teach those people who fired up fpm to create a package
> >to continue from this to a real package.  Just redirect them to me and
> >I'll do the packaging in some kind of "Mentoring of Month"[1] like
> >effort.
> 
> Thank you for your offer. This mentoring will be very helpful in
> this packaging effort.

Kind regards

      Andreas.

-- 
http://fam-tille.de