[Pkg-javascript-devel] hello, plus node packaging questions.

[Jonas Smedegaard]

Hi Andrew (and others following),

On 12-01-30 at 01:13pm, Andrew Baxter wrote:
> I'm emailing partly to introduce myself, and partly with a few 
> questions about the best way to go about packaging programs based on 
> node.js for debian.

Welcome to the Debian JavaScript Team!

For the record, our main page is http://wiki.debian.org/Javascript 
(already known to you from our prior communication).

Have you subscribed to our mailinglist already?

Debian list posting style is to only cc when explicitly requested.  I 
have made an exception with this post, as I am uncertain if you are 
subscribed or if not I fear that you might be unaware of that posting 
style of ours.  Therefore please either subscribe or explicitly mention 
that you'd like to be cc'ed directly on replies.



> [packaging buddycloud for debian] is potentially quite a complex task, 
> due to the large number of library dependencies used by the buddycloud 
> programs, each of which presumably need to be packaged as well. So I'm 
> now thinking of it as something I can give a bit of time to each week 
> over a long period.

Sure.  Off course it would be best if you devoted you full time, and got 
your kids and grandparents to do the same, but any and all 
contributions, also small ones occationally, is appreciated too :-)


> I've made a start on cataloging the dependencies and
> sub-dependencies of the web client here:
> 
> http://highfellow.org/buddycloud:debian_webclient?&#build_dependencies_for_the_web_client 

Quickly skimming above list, some of it is already in Debian.

Since most of not all Node libs are maintained in our team, a convenient 
if possibly incomplete list of things in Debian (or pending) is here: 
http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=pkg-javascript-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org

For pending packages to appear in our team list, we should remember to 
add the team email address as secondary email when filing the ITP 
bugreport.


> Once I've done this, I'm thinking that I'll pick a simple module with 
> no dependencies and try packaging that, so as to get a better idea of 
> how this works.

Good.


> It would help if I had a better idea of what the Debian policy is (if 
> any) on packaging node.js modules, so that I have a better idea of 
> what I'm working towards. My main question is whether it's necessary 
> to have a separate package for every dependency of a node.js program, 
> and if so how the debian package is meant to work with the existing 
> node build / package management framework? Is there any document on 
> the web about this?
> 
> It seems to me that it would be technically possible to make a working 
> debian package for the buddycloud webclient using the program's 
> existing build framework, which installs all the program's 
> dependencies in subdirectories, and compiles everything into a single 
> build.tar.gz package. This wouldn't be too hard to do, but I don't 
> know if this approach is suitable for an official debian package, and 
> if not what are the specific reasons for not doing it that way?

I believe we have no more written down than is linked to our main wiki 
page already.  Which is not much.  Try look at packaging style of 
packages already in Debian, and ask questions here on the list so we can 
evolve a consensus on any more details that might make sense to write 
down.


 - Jonas

-- 
 * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
 * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

 [x] quote me freely  [ ] ask before reusing  [ ] keep private
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