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

[Andrew Baxter]

On 30/01/12 21:32, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
> 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).
>

Thanks.

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>
> 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
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Sorry, this was a mistake. I am suscribed, but I posted from the wrong 
email address the first time, and in my second mail I cc'd myself by 
accident.
>> 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.
>

Ok. I'll do this.

The main question I wanted an answer to is what are the reasons for 
wanting separate debian packages for each dependent library of a program 
like the buddycloud web client? I'm assuming the idea is to reduce code 
duplication between packages, but I'd rather have a definite answer than 
assume something. Some of the webclient dependencies are quite small, so 
if this is the reason, it could make sense to include these in the 
webclient package at first and work on packaging the bigger libraries. 
For example, 'normalizecss' is included as a git submodule, and 
maintained as a separate project, but only includes a single short css file.

I was also wondering whether the packages you're building for nodejs are 
built to work with npm? For example this would be useful for someone who 
needs to install some node modules not yet in debian - npm would notice 
the ones already included and only install the extra modules which are 
needed. This is something I can probably answer for myself by looking at 
existing packages though.

I'll let you know when I've made some more progress with this.

Thanks,

andy