From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 01:17:55 +0300 From: Michael Shigorin To: smoke-room@lists.altlinux.org Message-ID: <20070517221755.GY32287@osdn.org.ua> Mail-Followup-To: smoke-room@lists.altlinux.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=koi8-r Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Subject: [room] LWN: How Debian packages a number X-BeenThere: smoke-room@lists.altlinux.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9rc1 Precedence: list Reply-To: shigorin@gmail.com, =?koi8-r?b?y9XM2NTV0s7ZyiDPxtTP0MnL?= List-Id: =?koi8-r?b?y9XM2NTV0s7ZyiDPxtTP0MnL?= List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 22:15:54 -0000 Archived-At: List-Archive: Не дадут поспать... Debian developer Josselin Mouette recently posted an intent to package notification for a useful-seeming library package: This package contains the "09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0" number. It is a very cool number, which, among other things, can be used by a wide range of HD-DVD deciphering applications. A small library is provided to access this number in applications. The get_09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0 C function returns a pointer to a 16-byte structure containing this number. Now, it's hard to argue with centralizing access to useful resources, and one would think that the creation of such a package would be a simple task. The response from the Debian community makes it clear that even simple-seeming tasks can be difficult, though. For starters, what happens when upstream releases a new version of the number? It appears necessary to add a separate version number to the library name. Another helpful developer pointed out the need for a command-line utility to obtain the number from scripts and such. Then there's the matter of bindings for Ruby, Perl, Python, and Lua, each of which would need a separate package. Even that's not enough, though, since the number in question is seen to be architecture-independent, and thus requiring a package separate from the library which uses it. Others pointed out that, now that Java is free, a Java binding will be required as well. Then there's the matter of GUI tools for GNOME, KDE, and XFCE. As of this writing, the Debian developers were beginning to grapple with the need for a full set of translations and setting up a special internationalization mailing list for this package. All of this attention to detail and universal support demonstrates how Debian has become such a comprehensive, well-integrated distribution. Look for the upcoming "Lenny" release to have the best l33t h4x0r numb3r of any distributor out there. -- ---- WBR, Michael Shigorin ------ Linux.Kiev http://www.linux.kiev.ua/