[Gambas-user] The new IDE packager - Help needed

[José Luis Redrejo]

2007/4/10, Benoit Minisini <gambas at ...1...>:
> Hi everyone,
>
> In the current SVN trunk, you will find a new IDE packager that allows you to
> make RPM packages from a gambas project.
>
> At the moment, this packager only supports Mandriva and Fedora distributions.
>
> ---- Why?
>
> Because at the moment I have a clear documentation for these two distributions
> only. In the future, I want to support OpenSuse, Debian, and Slackware.
>
> ---- How does it work?
>
> These RPM packages:
> 1) Install the project executable in /usr/bin.
> 2) Install an icon in the distribution icon directory. (this is not a
> standard).
> 3) Install the XDG *.desktop menu file, so that you see the application in
> your menu.
> 4) Depends on distribution specific gambas binary packages.
>
> ---- What are the problems?
>
> 1) is not a problem.
>
> 2) depends on the distribution. Fedora needs one icon in /usr/share/pixmaps.
> Mandriva has three icon directories. And I don't know for the other
> distributions.
>
> ** I need information about that for the other distributions **
>
> 3) works only if the distribution supports the free-desktop XDG menu system.
> This is the case for Mandriva and Fedora, even if these two distributions
> don't have the same menu organization.
>
> ** I need information about that for the other distributions. Do they support
> XDG menu system, or another one? **
>

Debian does, and I think any distribution with an update gnome, xfce
or kde desktop does it, as these desktops rely on Freedesktop for
their desktop icons since some versions ago.


> 4) relies on the distribution packagers. At the moment, if you want to install
> a package made by the IDE, you have to force it.
>
> There are other problems:
>
> 5) Debian and Slackware are not RPM-based. The Gambas 1.0.x IDE relied
> on 'alien' to make a debian package from a RPM, but I am not sure that it is
> the good solution.
>

I think so , i didn't like that solution, only could be a good idea
for making deb packages from a RPM based distribution, but not for a
Debian based distribution. The main problem is that I don't think the
tools for making debian packages are available in non-Debian based
distributions, so maybe the only solution is a mix: detect if you have
dpkg installed and if not, use alien.

> 6) There are many Debian-based distributions, and Debian packages do not
> necessarilly work on these distributions! (Somebody said 'Ubuntu' ?)

mmm, it depens on Ubuntu repositories, if the support the latest
gambas packages or not (in fact they use to pick up the packages from
Debian if they don't have their own maintainer). But, once they have
the gambas packages available, the package made from the ide should be
right for any debian based distribution as far as:
- the distro follows your package guidelines
- the distro has gambas 1.9.47 at least.

The packages made by the ide only should have dependencies on
gambas2-xxx packages, so they should be right for any other
distribution.

>
> ** I need information about how to make packages on these distributions **
>
> ---- How can you help?
>

I

> By making gambas binary packages for your distribution, if you can of course!
> The gambas binary packages specifications are at:
>
> http://gambasdoc.org/help/howto/package
>
> By testing the packager on your distribution. The packagers relies on the
> rpmbuild tool at the moment. Which tool is needed on your distribution? How
> does that tool work? This is especially important on non-RPM distribution
> like Debian or Slackware.
>
> By giving me information about your distribution if it is different from the
> standard ones.
>
> Please help me making a really working packager for Gambas 2.0. This is the
> last big step before making a release candidate! With a few other little
> things of course... :-)
>


Do you have any documentation about the process, modules, or classes
you use to make the rpm packages?. I will be glad to help coding the
needed part to make native Debian packages.

Regards.
José L.