Comments regarding herwig++_2.6.0-1_amd64.changes

[Lifeng Sun]

Hi,

On 21:34 Sun 07/29/12 Jul     , Luca Falavigna wrote:
> one of our tireless trainees have some questions about your package:
>
> - The binary package "herwig++" contains 39 MB of shared libraries,
>   and only one 40 kB executable named "Herwig++". The libs should go
>   into a binary package named "libherwig++". The source package also
>   creates a herwig++-dev package, which should be renamed
>   libherwig++-dev. However, there are many shared libraries in this
>   package, all with different sonames.

The shared libraries in the binary "herwig++" package are all plugins
of the executable Herwig++ program, so it makes sense to ship them in
"herwig++" binary package.

> - The herwig++-dev package doesn't contain static libraries, only
>   header files, but is Architecture: any.

it's not a sufficient reason to declare a package "Architecture: all"
if it contains only header files, some header files might be arch-dep,
e.g. config.h generated by autotools.

In this package, although likely all header files are arch-indep, the
"herwig-config" script is arch-dep (I admit it's quite easy to make it
arch-indep).

> - The executable Herwig++ does not link directly to the shared
>   libraries, but loads them dynamically, so maybe they are meant to
>   be plugins instead of shared libraries. Are the shared libs meant
>   to be used by anything other than the Herwig++ executable? If not,
>   there is no need for the herwig++-dev package, and then also the
>   current binary package herwig++ would make more sense.

no, they are not designed for anything other than the Herwig++
executable program.

On the other hand, the header files in herwig++-dev package is used
for Herwig++ plugin development. Herwig++ plugins link against
libThePEG (that's why the package depends on libthepeg-dev) and
dynamically load other Herwig++ plugins.


> - debian/copyright fails to mention "Copyright (C) 2008-2011 Simon
>   Platzer -- simon.plaetzer at desy.de" that is in many files in
>   Exsample2/exsample/.  He is also mentioned in many files in
>   MatrixElement/Matchbox/ in the comments above functions.

"Simon Platzer" is mentioned as "Simon Plätzer" in debian/copyright.


> - debian/copyright lists all individual authors, but many source
>   files are "Copyright (C) 2002-2011 The Herwig Collaboration".

will fix.


> - The long description is very short on details, even for high
>   energy physicists I think. In any case, the description of the
>   original HERWIG program is: "HERWIG is a Monte Carlo package for
>   simulating Hadron Emission Reactions With Interfering
>   Gluons". Perhaps even better would be to write something similar
>   to the abstract of http://arxiv.org/abs/0803.0883.

Herwig++ is a C++ re-written of HERWIG, which is a well-known package
in high energy physics community for decades. If HERWIG does not ring
any bell for one, the package is not likely for him/her. I will extend
the description as you wish, however.


Thank you for the comments,
Lifeng

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