[pkg-fgfs-crew] flightgear 3.2 packaging

[Markus Wanner]

Rebecca,

On 07/28/2014 11:10 AM, Rebecca Palmer wrote:
> My fgdata_checkers script (
> https://gitorious.org/fg/fgmeta/source/841a58097b827d8e6815aeafe6a0274ba9803460:fgdata_checkers.py
> ) can now generate a split package (like we use):
> 
> python3 -c "import fgdata_checkers;
> fgdata_checkers.create_reduced_fgdata(input_path='',output_path='debian/flightgear-data-{0}/usr/share/games/flightgear')"

Sounds useful. But that script currently lives outside of the tarball
distributed as flightgear-data, right?

Do you envision us bundling our own data tarballs?

> (Not fully tested as I don't have time right now.  This would replace
> the copying around currently in debian/rules; you would need to delete
> Timezone, as well as LiberationFonts, afterwards.)

Yeah, sorry, I didn't get around checking the splits you proposed in
your earlier mail either, yet.

One point that I'm worried about is that I see no reason for a split as
long as you need both parts, anyways. (And yes, that's status quo,
unfortunately.)

Another aspect is that testing any kind of new combination that
(optional) splits allow for sounds time consuming. Especially if
upstream doesn't support that effort.

AFAIUI the script has been committed upstream. Does that mean they are
anywhere close to split flightgear-data into multiple separate tarballs?
(Maybe optionally available alongside the full thing?)

If no: Would it make sense to focus on the 3.2 release, first. And
revisit the flightgear-data splits after that?

> Making regional textures optional requires two different versions of
> preferences.xml (despite its name, this is the global default settings,
> not the saved user preferences), which this script outputs as
> preferences-regions.xml and preferences-noregions.xml; preferences.xml
> would then need to be a symlink to one of these depending on whether
> regional textures are installed.

Okay, sounds good to me.

> I have also found that most of the aircraft package's size (220MB of
> 305MB) is due to a single aircraft, the 777: should we simply omit that
> one (pass
> include_aircraft=['UIUC','b1900d','CitationX','ZLT-NT','dhc2','Cub','sopwithCamel','f-14b','ASK13','bo105','Dragonfly','SenecaII','A6M2']
> to create_reduced_fgdata), and tell users to get it from Aircraft Center?

In a way, all aircrafts other than the c172p (and ufo?) are optional. So
why treat the 777 special?


Let's revisit the packages and possible split points:

 * flightgear-data-base: you proposed this to only include the
   c172p and ufo aircrafts, which I think is great. IMO it should
   be the only data package flightgear has a hard dependency on,
   though.

 * flightgear-data-models: currently split, but I see no good reason
   for that split. Merge back into base?

 * flightgear-data-scenery: currently in base, might not be needed if
   you turn on Terrasync immediately... Could therefore possibly be
   optional. Requires testing, though. Would or should flightgear
   running w/o this installed automatically enable Terrasync?

 * flightgear-data-base-textures: mandatory, not currently
   split. Should go into base, IMO.

 * flightgear-data-extra-textures: optional - either split by
   region specific vs global or downsampled vs full resolution. Is
   there any overlap with base-textures? Or can we provide extra
   textures as their own files, which flightgear uses when available
   and gracefully handles when absent? I'm unclear on how 'optional'
   these are.

   Can we combine the two split points, i.e. provide just the
   downsampled version of the global textures in -base? And put all of
   the other 3 combinations into -extra?

 * flightgear-data-ai: currently split, hopefully really optional.
   Again, ideally flightgear should emit a warning if --enable-ai is
   given, but this package isn't installed. And the corresponding
   option in fgrun & fgo should be disabled.

 * flightgear-data-aircraft: currently split, seems really optional,
   but with some overlap with the upcoming Aircraft Center.

 * flightgear-data-all: Should provide an easy way for the user to
   simply fetch whatever the original flightgear distribution
   provides. (Including the 777, IMO.)


Sorry for the mixture of facts, opinions and questions. Feel free to
comment on each item. But most importantly, please correct errors.

Regards

Markus Wanner


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