[Debian-med-packaging] Bug#948473: cain: should this package be removed?

[Sandro Tosi]

control: retitle -1 keep cain out of testing

On Thu, Jan 9, 2020 at 12:12 AM Andreas Tille <tille at debian.org> wrote:
>
> Hi Sandro,
>
> On Wed, Jan 08, 2020 at 09:28:16PM -0500, Sandro Tosi wrote:
> >
> > * python2-only
> > * no upstream release since July 2012 (not even advertized on their HP)
> > * low popcon (but it's also probably part of a niche package)
>
> I once gave it a try with 2to3 but failed.  I intend to give
> it another try later.
>
> > * one of the only 2 reverse-dependency for python-scipy
>
> For the moment I think removing cain from testing and remove
> Python2 version of python-scipy is OK.  Cain definitely should
> not block progress in scipy.

i'll ask the RT to remove it from testing from the time being, this RC
bug will prevent it from re-entering.

> > It is my opinion we should remove this package from Debian; if i dont hear back
> > within a week with a good reason to keep this package around, i'll file for its
> > removal.
>
> If you do not agree with the method above I'm fine with the
> removal.

i mean, it's fine, but is it maintainable? this is a big piece of code
that no upstream developer has supported in 7 and a half years. you're
gonna end up with a gigantic 2to3 patch and then what? what if 3.8
breaks it, or 3.9? or the next numpy, etc: whos gonna maintain it?

are there any unittests to guarantee the 2to3 conversion is ok? from a
quick look at the package it looks like there are exactly 0 tests, not
comforting :( https://salsa.debian.org/med-team/cain/blob/master/debian/rules#L41

the ultimate question is: is it worth to keep this software in debian
since there's nobody outside willing to commit time and effort to
maintain and evolve it? are you, alone, gonna do it?

i dont think it's a sustainable approach to just 2to3 and live to see
another day: this py2removal is also a good opportunity to get rid of
old/unused/unmaintained packages; to my eyes src:cain look like one of
them

cheers,
-- 
Sandro "morph" Tosi
My website: http://sandrotosi.me/
Me at Debian: http://wiki.debian.org/SandroTosi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrotosi