[Python-modules-team] Question about python-cram/python3-cram Debian/Ubuntu packages

[Andreas Tille]

Hi all,

On Wed, Jun 06, 2018 at 08:23:00AM +0200, László Böszörményi (GCS) wrote:
> Hi Brodie,
> 
> On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 10:34 AM Brodie Rao <brodie at bitheap.org> wrote:
> > I'm the creator of Cram. On a whim, earlier today searched for "cram"
> > in the Ubuntu package repository, and was surprised to find the
> > python-cram and python3-cram packages. I see you're listed as the
> > original maintainer. Would you be able to help make changes to the
> > packages?
>  Please do note that Andreas Tille is the new maintainer, I no longer
> take care of the package.

That's not what the metadata of the package says.  The maintainer is

  Maintainer: Debian Python Modules Team <python-modules-team at lists.alioth.debian.org>

(team in CC) and you are listed as

  Uploaders: Laszlo Boszormenyi (GCS) <gcs at debian.org>

As I wrote you before I moved the package to DPMT to give it a wider
audience but I was not hijacking the package from you.  If you do not
plan to care for the package please declare so publicly.

The reason why I was steping in to cram packaging was that due to bug
#897516 [1] with severity serious is affecting three packages of the
Debian Med team (Uploader Afif Elghraoui in CC) and I wanted to make
sure that the packages remain in testing.  I hope that Afif might
volunteer to ad himself to Uploaders in case you will not be able to
work on this package.

> > I'm wondering if Cram can be deprecated or removed as Python 2/3
> > libraries, and instead be listed as a CLI program under the package
> > name "cram"—one that installs into /usr/bin/cram, uses Python 3, and
> > isn't in sys.path and isn't importable. This was my original intention
> > for Cram. Do you know if it'd be possible to make those changes?
>  Sure, this is possible now. The original idea was to have separate
> Cram for Python 2.x and Python 3.y so when someone needs only one
> variant then s/he doesn't need to pull in the other Python module
> variants as dependency.
> Now Python 2.7 is deprecated and python-cram can be dropped while the
> python3- prefix can be removed. Andreas can do it for you. He is
> already looking for you about package maintenance.

I need to discuss this issue with Afif who know the chain of
dependencies better than me.  Adding an additional CLI package using the
python3-cram package would be the cheapest way to cope with your plane
to make cram a command line application.  However, if there is software
out there that is using the python-cram (=Python2) interface we should
probably keep it as long as it is needed.
 
> > Or would it make more sense to have three packages? python-cram,
> > python3-cram, and "cram"?

As I said above I consider this the less invasive method for the moment.

> > With the latter installing into
> > /usr/bin/cram, and the former two making the program available as a
> > library (to preserve backwards compatibility).
>  Sure, dependent packages will need to be updated for the name change
> but there's no need for a metapackage. Of course, Andreas is the one
> to decide, this is only my point of view.

As I tried to express I do not really feel in the position to decide
just since I tried to work on a bug of the package, but I'll do my best
to sort this out and follow the wish of upstream.
 
> > One thing I'm not sure about is how to deal with python-cram currently
> > using /usr/bin/cram. I'd rather Cram not use Python 2 at all if
> > possible (it's ancient and hard to support—I was hoping to remove
> > Python 2 support in the future,

That's perfectly sensible.  Debian is also moving away from Python 2.

> > and maybe even use a different
> > implementation language at some point). Do you know how that issue
> > could be dealt with?
>  Please see above. I agree that Python 2 support needs to be removed.

ACK.  However, we somehow need to care for reverse dependencies and
as long as these are using Python 2 we try to keep this alife.

> > If there's any way you could help, or if you could point me to the
> > right person or in the right direction, I'd very much appreciate it.
>  I've added Andreas to this mail, you can continue with him on future matters.

As said above, the maintainer is

   python-modules-team at lists.alioth.debian.org

and I'd prefer if Afif would take over the Uploaders role.
 
> > PS: I do appreciate your involvement with the package. I'm sorry if I
> > come across as unthankful of that—I don't mean any disrespect at all.
> > Thanks again for any help you might be able to provide!
>  You are welcome. Debian is a non-profit group of volunteers and we
> help when we are able to.
> Unfortunately the company I work for make it even more harder (now
> almost impossible) to use Linux as such my possibilities are degraded.

Thanks for the clarification.

Kind regards

       Andreas.
 

[1] https://bugs.debian.org/897516

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