On Tue, 29 May 2007 23:13:06 -0500 Rich Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Dear mentors, > > I am looking for a sponsor for my package "libhttp". Hmm. I'm not sure about the package name - http is a VERY crowded namespace and a lot of users would assume some kind of Apache connection with this package. Which package(s) are going to depend on this library? > > * Package name : libhttp > Version : 1.1-1 > Upstream Author : Alan DuBoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > * URL : http://www.softorchestra.com > * License : GPL > Section : libs > > It builds these binary packages: > libhttp - small streaming data xfer over socket framework The binary should specify the SONAME: libhttp0 or libhttp1. The source package is fine. > libhttp-dev - small streaming data xfer over socket framework > (developer files) You should also provide a -dbg package for all libraries (you also haven't specified the language used in this project - the code samples in the txt file are all C). -dbg packages are likely to become mandatory in due course to provide a complete debug chain. In an embedded context, these would be used inside a chroot on the workstation (debugging on an iPAQ isn't fun.) I fully understand the embedded maxim: Small is bad, tiny is better, tiniest is best. So I can see a role for this package - in preference to the comparatively large wget. Your website txt file mentions embedded use (hence my interest as DD & Emdebian developer and iPAQ/GPE developer) but remember that this is not simply going into Emdebian or some limited repository just for embedded packages. It is going into Debian with 19,000 other packages. Let's just say that most of the short names have been taken. ;-) It would be VERY handy to convert that txt file into the simplest of HTML and link to it from the homepage. (It's also v.long for a txt file so it would be best to split it into general, usage, history and API pages). Nothing fancy, just wrap in <html><body> </body></html> and wrap each paragraph in <p></p> and maybe use a few <h1></h1> lines. > I would be glad if someone uploaded this package for me. I'm willing to take a closer look at it and potentially sponsor it - BUT the package name must be changed first, IMHO. It could be something as simple as libemhttp - depending on which other programs are going to be able to use it. The other problem is that you appear to make this CPU-specific - I think this should be made much clearer. Exactly which CPU's are supported and which are not? Note that this is likely to be used embedded devices that are MUCH smaller than an iPAQ. The txt file also describes what looks like a 'hget' binary (amongst others) - those should be a separate package, not something installed by libhttp. Maybe rename the source package as emhttp-tools. The main package provides the binaries which depend on libemhttp0 and this ONLY contains the shared library, built from the one source package (along with the -dbg and -dev). i.e. you should be making FOUR binary packages from this tarball: emhttp-tools: /usr/bin/* libemhttp0: /usr/lib/ libemhttp-dev: /usr/include usr/lib/pkgconfig (if used) and the other components of a normal -dev. libemhttp-dbg: /usr/lib/debug/usr/lib Debian will add other bits like ChangeLog, copyright and manpages for each of those binaries. Emdebian will remove all of those and cross-build suitable binaries. On a final note, I haven't looked at the package yet but I would STRONGLY recommend CDBS for this package. It makes automated cross-builds trivial. Whatever you use, *please* do not use highly customised rules in debian/rules. As a package directly targetting embedded uses (and which has very, very little benefit to a desktop machine) it is only sensible to ensure that it cross-builds (within Debian) as easily as possible. See http://wiki.debian.org/EmdebianGuide (Adding cross-build detection section.) -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.data-freedom.org/ http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/
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