Volunteer Packagers Needed for the PPA

[wandererfan]

I think then we do 18.04,20.04,22.04 and 22.10 to ensure nothing breaks. So Ubuntu LTS and latest?

I downloaded your packages from Launchpad (https://code.launchpad.net/~pasanen-tuu ... d/24298908) and tried to install them on Ubuntu 20.04. I ran into problems with dependency on "libfreecad-daily-python3-0.19". The first attempt was with v0.19 already installed and the second was with all old FC packages removed before trying to install.

It is entirely possible that I've done something wrong, but maybe the logs will tell you something.

[david69]

I know Freecad is missing guys to package stable like dev versions. Up to 2 wks ago, I was with a Lubuntu 18.04 and with the 22.04.01, I thought it was the right time to upgrade my OS. Unfortuantely, it seems the packaging for the 22.04 is a bit behind the 18.04 and 20.04.
https://launchpad.net/~freecad-maintain ... ecad-daily
can somebody give a little kick to the packaging for 22.04. I am interested in the dev version because I want to double check some of the changes I've made on Crowdin and later adapt the translations on the wiki.
I know there is snap and don't like this windows' way, compile is far away from me and AppImage is huge to download.
otherwise, I'll be patient.

[adrianinsaval]

people are still wasting time trying to use the ppa: https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=72377
I suggest once again disabling it until someone can actually take over maintainership.

[Kunda1]

@kkremitzki & @yorik please weigh-in

[yorik]

Honestly I have no strong idea here... It looks more and more that PPAs are becoming a thing of the past anyway?
Maybe for the time being we could simply add a note warning users that this ppa is currently unmaintained?

[david69]

it would be sad to stop the ppa.
as far as I understand, updating from ppa is efficient.

I am not sure Kurt weights on that, he seems absent for a while.
there is a group of guys behind the packaging at least for 18.04 and 20.04.

Capture d’écran 2022-10-10 120705.png (39.93 KiB) Viewed 3187 times

[yorik]

I think that's mostly @Kunda1 and @looo?

[charleyann]

Please keep the PPA's. There are many of us who refuse to use snaps, flatpaks...

[adrianinsaval]

as far as I understand, updating from ppa is efficient.

specifically for updates it's not too efficient, snap flatpak and appimage all do differential updates, that is only the changed files are downloaded. apt on the other hand needs to download the whole package every time (it might be using better compression though so it's not be very noticeable). At initial installation time and regarding storage used it can be more efficient.

there is a group of guys behind the packaging at least for 18.04 and 20.04.
Capture d’écran 2022-10-10 120705.png

those are automatic builds, still with broken dependencies and who knows what else.

Please keep the PPA's. There are many of us who refuse to use snaps, flatpaks...

you also have appimage, besides that your package format fanaticism or convictions are not the maintainers responsibility, you are welcome to work on keeping the ppa alive if you really care about it that much. And some advice, if you want to run up to date software but don't want to use snaps/flatpaks/appimages, why are you using ubuntu? Go at least with fedora or debian testing or if you really want the latest stuff go with arch. Consider using distrobox if you want to use up to date packages from other distros but really want to keep your ubuntu base.

[onekk]

Please keep the PPA's. There are many of us who refuse to use snaps, flatpaks...

You could even poke Ubuntu developers to make more updated packages for stable versions of FreeCAD.

Probably if many people will ask, some maintainers will make the package.

Main problem is usually that "backporting" for a distribution that is "conservative" like Debian derivatives, in other words use old libraries, for a program like FreeCAD that is developing faster and tend to use relatively new libraries, is not very easy.

You may could add to the matter that Debian derivatives are usually patching sources to adhere to "Debian Policy", and to adapt it to some peculiarities of Debian, so developing for Debian and derivatives is not an easy task, many developers has given up to directly supply Debian packages and resolved to use AppImages or similar. (Snap if I don't go wrong is the Ubuntu answer for bleeding edge software development).

Sadly is a chicken egg problem between stability and reliability, but as example more bleeding edge distribution like Arch Linux and derivative (That I actually use) have the opposite problem, they are too much updated so it is not so easy to cope with them.

IMHO welcome AppImages, conda installs and similar packages or virtual environments.

Regards
Carlo D.