Bug#834245: RFS: arasan/19.0.1-1 [ITP] -- a strong chess engine using xboard

[Sean Whitton]

control: tag -1 +moreinfo
control: owner -1 !

Dear Michael,

Thank you for packaging this interesting-looking software for Debian.  I
can't sponsor the upload, but I hope this review is useful to you.

I've split it into two sections: things that I would consider must-fixes
before an upload to Debian, and suggested improvements.  The latter
aren't strictly necessary, but they would help demonstrate to a
potential sponsor that you are committed to maintaining this package in
Debian.

=== Must-fixes / clarifications

1. The upstream author distributes the source code under the MIT
license, but places restrictions on distributing the binary builds
available from his website.  I think you need to confirm that none of
the files in your package are bit-for-bit identical to any files that
can be downloaded from his website.  It might be best to ask
debian-legal about it.

2. The debian/copyright file doesn't fill all the requirements given in
Debian Policy section 12.5.  It's highly recommended you use the
"machine-readable" copyright format:


3. You seem to be embedding at least one other project: src/syzygy looks
to be a library.  This needs to be packaged separately.

4. The content in debian/changelog is not appropriate.  It should
contain a single entry, saying "Initial release (Closes: #771057)."  The
information in your changelog should be split between
/usr/share/doc/arasan/README.Debian and patch headers.

5. You shouldn't install the whole doc/ directory.  You are installing
the upstream changelog twice, installation instructions, and some
licenses for components that

=== Suggested improvements

1. I'd be very grateful if you'd put your packaging in a git
repository.  That allows me to more easily track changes you've made in
response to my comments in this review.

2. In your debian/rules file, you do not use the dh sequencer.  Since
you are not doing anything non-standard, you could probably use a rules
file that is less than 5 lines long.  Please look into that (dh(1) would
be a good place to start).

3. Upstream are on version 19.1.0 now.  You could upgrade from 19.0.1.

4. In the patch header for remove-arasanx-suffix.patch, isn't it for
running a multi-arch system not a multi-user system?

5. Why are you installing /usr/share/arasan/README?  That's not the
place for a README.

6. Would it make sense to run upstream's test suite during the package
build, to check everything is working?

7. Have you considered packaging the Syzygy tablebase for Debian (if
it's free software)?

The "must-fixes" are quite serious, so I'll end my review here.  If you
can deal with the above I'll probably be able to find some more things
you can improve :)

-- 
Sean Whitton


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Bug#834245: RFS: arasan/19.0.1-1 [ITP] -- a strong chess engine using xboard

[Bart Martens]

reopen 834245
stop

Sorry my mistake, reopening.

Bug#834245: RFS: arasan/19.0.1-1 [ITP] -- a strong chess engine using xboard

[Michael Knoop]

Package: sponsorship-requests
Severity: wishlist

Dear mentors,

I am looking for a sponsor for my package "arasan"

* Package name: arasan
  Version : 19.0.1-1
  Upstream Author : Jon Dart
* URL :http://www.arasanchess.org
* License : MIT
  Section : games

It builds this binary package:

  arasan - Chess engine that runs in xboard

To access further information about this package, please visit the following 
URL:

https://mentors.debian.net/package/arasan


Alternatively, one can download the package with dget using this command:

  dget 
-xhttps://mentors.debian.net/debian/pool/main/a/arasan/arasan_19.0.1-1.dsc

First upload.  Changes from upstream source:

  * Initial release (Closes: #771057)
  *
  * changed Makefile to change binary name to arasanx without -32 or -64 suffix
  * changed Makefile to remove configurations for non-Linux system and
  * include Gaviota tablebase capability.
  * add debian/added_files directory containing the  large opening book binary
  * book.bin and the script file arasan to be called to start arasan.
  *
  * Unfortunately, arasan can only read its configuration file, arasan.rc,
  * the opening book, book.bin, and the directory containing the
  * gaviota tablebases, gtb/, from the same directory containing the
  * binary program, arasanx.
  * Therfore, have added a shell script, named arasan, to /usr/games which adds
  * a directory  ~/.arasan, copies the arasan.rc file into it, along with links
  * to arasanx, book.bin, and the gaviota tablebases directory.  Then it
  * executes the arasanx link for this directory.  If the directory already
  * exists then it just enters ~/.arasan and executes the arasanx link.
  * Since the user now has his own copy of arasan.rc, he can edit it as he
  * wishes.
  *
  * The shell script /usr/games/arasan should be used to start arasan from
  * xboard as "arasan"
  *
  * Modified Makefile to use the library libgavioatb from the package
  * libgaviotatb1 instead of using a static linked copy of the library
  * in the source code.

  * added brief man documents arasan.1 and arasanx.1



Regards,
 Michael Knoop