Bug#848758: Latest upgrade of Numpy breaks tests of other packages (Was: Bug#848758: python-skbio: FTBFS: Test failures)

[Andreas Tille]

Hi Sandro,

On Wed, Dec 21, 2016 at 07:54:35AM -0500, Sandro Tosi wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 21, 2016 at 5:59 AM, Andreas Tille <andreas at an3as.eu> wrote:
> >> For python-skbio it is *really* time to panic *right now*.
> >>
> >> python-skbio is currently not in testing.
> 
> the last upload (0.5.1-1) was done on Nov 19 and skbio hasnt been in
> testing for more than 11 months. if it hasnt reached testing by now,
> it must have had several other issues.

Its correct that it *had* issues in the past - but that's what we were
working on and we had assumed that all issues are solved now.
 
> >> If this issue is not resolved by Christmas, your Christmas present for
> >> the python-skbio maintainers is that their package will definitely not
> >> be part of stretch.
> 
> sarcasm wont help you make your point.

I agree that sarcasm does not help.  However, we were really aiming at
having skbio in stretch.
 
> > Thanks for confirming that I was not actually panicing. ;-)
> >
> > Sandro, would you reconsider my suggestion to revert this
> > mini-transition?  I do not see a realistic chance that upstream will
> > come up with fixes in the next two days.
> 
> how did you reach this conclusion? before i reported this bug upstream
> (why didnt you do it?) they probably werent even aware of the issue.

Thanks for contacting upstream.  I confirm that I planed to do this but
several other bugs droped in yesterday and I did not manage.
 
> I think you have multiple actions you can do:
> 
> * actually investigate what the issue is, did you try to do it? you
> might also find out the fix is easy and end up submitting a patch
> upstream
> * engage with upstream to get this fixed by them and backport the
> patch to the current package (if they prefer not to release a new
> version now)
> * skip that test / dont make the build fail if there is a test failure
> (for now!). Test suites are made to catch errors, and in this case it
> worked! expecting the test suite to pass every time is either
> unrealistic or an indication the suite is too shallow. grab
> information about the failure and report them upstream, but in the
> meantime (since it's a known issue) you can decide to skip the failure

In my initial response I mentioned skiping the test.  However, I
intended to discuss this first since simply hiding the eyes from an
upgrading problem is not the prefered way to go.
 
> you say you are in a hurry, and yet you decided to waste a whole day
> in this blame-game, i'm sure there is much more you can do to fix
> skbio.

Sandro, please calm down.  I did not tried to play a blame-game. I was
busy fixing other RC bugs.  I was considering it a 50% chance that a
mini-transition might be reverted and thus I started with other packages
where 100% action was needed.  I also need to admit that I do not feel
competent in Numpy details that the time-effort investment for myself
makes the time well spent (compared to other tasks).

Kind regards

     Andreas.

-- 
http://fam-tille.de