[Debian-med-packaging] Bug#808743: r-cran-fastcluster: Does not provide upstream Python interface

[Andreas Tille]

Hi Gard,

thanks for the pointer - I was not aware of this Python module.

On Tue, Dec 22, 2015 at 01:57:54PM +0100, Gard Spreemann wrote:
> The upstream package from which r-cran-fastcluster originates, simply
> called "fastcluster", provides both an R and a Python interface as
> first-class citizens [1] (both are in fact thin wrappers around a C++
> library, whose interface is, AFAIK, not meant to be exposed). However,
> the current Debian package provides only the R interface.
> 
> It would be really nice if also the Python interface could be
> provided. I suspect one would then rename the source to something like
> "fastcluster", and from it build two binaries, for example
> "r-cran-fastcluster" and "python-fastcluster".
> 
> I have a sketch for packaging of the Python interface [2], but that is
> for *just* that interface. Hopefully it is not too hard to provide
> both. I am not too experienced with Debian packaging, but I'd happily
> assist if I can be of any help.

I think building a single Python package is not the problem.  From my
point of view the showstopper is that R packages are usually build using
cdbs and Python using dh and I do not know how to sneak in the Python
stuff into the R build system.  I hereby keep the Python team in CC
whether they might have a clever idea how this could be approached.

The wimpy solution would simply to maintain the same source twice if
there is no clever solution for this problem.

Kind regards

        Andreas.

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