[maemo-developers] maemo-optify, autobuilder & /opt

[From: Alberto Mardegan]

Andrew Flegg wrote:
> Alberto wrote:
>> Graham Cobb wrote:
>>> So, the consensus decision was that the solution would be that autobuilder
>>> should automatically optify by default.
>> Sounds wrong to me.
> 
> Can you elaborate? I'd like to be convinced (as I was during the BOF) rather than just whomever expresses the most feelings most often and loudest getting their way.

Sure :-)

> Assuming:
>   * Developers want to upload the same source package
>     for Diablo, Fremantle and Mer;

I have some doubts on this assumption. Fremantle is rather different then the 
previous version, so the source package will be most likely a separate one 
(especially for UI apps). At least this is going to be the case for maemo-mapper.

>   * /opt won't be necessary at some point in
>     the future, or on some devices such as those
>     running Mer;
>   * Nokia aren't going to implement a union FS or
>     just use the NAND for swap (and put the rootfs
>     on the eMMC) in the shortf (or even, probably,
>     medium-) term;
>   * Pretty much every package on Maemo should be using
>     /opt as much as possible;

Ok, but then the maemo-optify will be doing different things in the various 
build environments.

> ...it was concluded that:
> 
>   a) Modifying debian/rules is hacky and causes
>      forking between Diablo, Fremantle and Mer.

Mmm... It might be hacky, true. But it does not cause any forking, if we provide 
it for Diablo and Mer too.

>   b) A control file field makes the most sense to
>      control the build process.

Agreed.

>   c) That the absence of the control field would
>      Do The Right Thing ((c) Ruby, Perl, Groovy)
>      which, on Fremantle, is optification in most cases.

Maybe. I don't have a strong opinion about that, but I wonder if the automatic 
optification might introduce some subtle bugs that the developer might have 
trouble to investigate, if he doesn't know that the build system did modify his 
package.

Ciao,
   Alberto

-- 
http://www.mardy.it <-- geek in un lingua international!