/srv/irclogs.ubuntu.com/2022/11/11/#ubuntu-devel.txt

droid3hi , curious if one was to write a neat linux application that was host either locally or on a site like sourceforge,bitbucket, github,...etc00:03
droid3How would it get into the main repo of like a ubuntu distro'00:04
droid3Like what the process it have to go thru?00:04
sarnoldthere's two primary paths: getting into debian and getting into the snap store00:05
droid3I tried canonical launchpad site and created an account years back to see if i could get a .deb file and a ppa link that work for people to utilize in ubuntu software center my software.00:06
sarnoldyeah that should get you a lot of the way there, too00:06
droid3But i really never could get the darn launchpad site to build a .deb and a ppa link that people could use00:07
sarnoldhttps://wiki.debian.org/DebianMentorsFaq might be helpful for getting something into debian; there may be better pages, but this one looks promising ;)00:07
droid3Isnt snaps just the new name for ubuntu software center aka a gui front end to apt-get00:13
sarnoldno00:13
droid3If so the issue is how to make a deb into the launchpad site and get a ppa for it00:13
sarnoldsnaps are pretty different00:13
sarnoldyou can probably get your application snapped up in a few hours; getting a deb building might take a few days, depending upon the complexity of whatever you're building00:14
droid3ya did they make another thing we already had .deb , .rpm , .tgz for debian , redhat , slackware00:14
droid3why would you go and make more things when you had those 3 type of package manager structures and file formats.00:15
droid3Why more its just going to get more cumbersome in hosting stuff.00:15
droid3Let me look into snaps ...but my main question for launchpad is how the heck you take your source code ,or binary file and have there site process it into a .deb /host the deb and give you a ppa link00:16
droid3so everybody can download it from there gui or console package manager programs00:16
sarnolddroid3: because all of those package formats executed the maintainer scripts as unconfined root00:20
sarnolddroid3: we thought it'd be better if the maintainer scripts would be confined with the same confinment that's applied to the application00:20
sarnolddroid3: re: PPA, you add a debian/ directory with a bunch of control files to say how to build the package00:21
droid3wait but how is snaps different then just using say npm or maven with the binary to configure there enviroment /as an installer.00:24
droid3What i am getting at is say i just built the binary and need only to have a program like maven or npm to configure there enviorment.00:25
droid3well that assuming the ubuntu client has the snap manager application or gui installed on there system.00:27
droid3Is this a safe assumption because alot of people use old distro that dont have snap installed. Where as .deb files from day one of package managers works.00:28
droid3Its a balance between adding more software managers for the end user vs the difficulty of just figuring it out with .deb and ppa00:28
droid3Its funny how windows has simple installer msi mechanisms. Where as linux/unix had to go with more of a package manager based thing because its open source and every growing variants.00:30
droid3To clear up dependency hell.00:30
droid3But ya assuming snap gui is on the client side then sure using yaml files one can build a snap capable software. And have it possible up in the store.00:31
sarnolddroid3: ah but snaps brings back dependency hell! :) snaps are a single compressed squashfs filesystem with almost all the dependencies of an application baked into it00:32
sarnolddroid3: so, when you need to update a library, you get to update all the snaps that use it individually00:32
droid3Just wish for linux/unix the binary hosting of software was simplier like microsofts with just installer programs.00:32
sarnoldsnaps should be simpler; just snap install spotify   or whatever and it'll download and install it for you00:33
sarnoldthere's a gui somewhere that'll let youy type in 'spotify' and give you an 'install button' to click on00:33
sarnoldyou can click your desktop background four or five times if you miss clicking 'next' a bunch :)00:34
droid3ya i saw the gui it looks exactly or very close to exactly the same as software center gui was.00:34
droid3except ubuntu software center relied on .deb packages and apt-get00:35
droid3Just a nice front end in both cases.00:35
droid3But as i said in the passed somewhere we have flatpack , appimage , snaps ...etc what going to happens is a cumbersome mess of package managers.00:36
droid3I still believe it should only be one format like .deb for debian based linux's , .rpm for redhat based linux's, and perhaps .tgz for the slackware based linux's00:37
droid3That covers any type of linux distro so 3 formats and enhance any package manager such as yum , apt , apt-get ...etc are design to be implement to conform to those file formats00:39
droid3The problem is we dont have any easy way to upload are code and the launchpad site pop out a ppa link that usable and them hosting the .deb file00:40
sarnoldindeed00:40
droid3in there repo obviously not main ones until it gets more popularity00:40
sarnoldbuilding debs is not easy00:40
sarnoldif you want to build a deb, start with https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/00:40
droid3So anybody care to at launchpad to fix that. I cannt necessarily do it from the outside.00:41
droid3My issue was alot of security permissions and a complicated process to go thru which valid there was no good instructions or they where just to complex and didnt work partly because of outdated....or other stuff.00:42
droid3At any extent it should be easy to upload code and get a ppa that you can tell people to add to there apt source list either thru updating sources.list file or thru the preferred method add-apt-repository command00:44
droid3Yet when one create a launchpad account its cumbersome and you cannt do much in this realm ????00:45
droid3It maybe because i am working with old distro before i jump to newer and i am not consistent with modern stuff. However it shouldnt be hard and it should easy / universal to pop out ppa00:46
sarnolddroid3: read the debian new maintainer guide, that will get you started on deb packaging00:46
droid3or it defeats software development slightly because you got to rely on launchpad site which cannt come thru00:47
droid3well i just got done coding stuff so i kind of didnt want to start ready thru bunches of stuff just to get my software into a ppa link so it works with the package managers and looks nicely in the gui package manager front end.00:48
droid3I have no problem distributing my software in source form or even as a build script with the binary / direction for install.00:49
droid3But i just think end users appreciate more of a click up button install. Or sudo apt-get install command line quick thing.00:50
droid3Assuming there given the ppa link for my software all they have to do is either click to install or sudo apt-get install at terminal pretty much dummy proof.00:50
droid3And i got to say alot of people like it that way because look at it from there point of view they dont want to have to work on your project most like they dont want to configure it like a sysadmin.00:51
droid3for the most part they just want to get it up and running effortlessly00:51
droid3And the more people you can do that for the better if its good software.00:52
droid3Anyway eventually i might read thru the maintainer link you gave me thanks for that. Yet currently my mind is on alot of different creative things to bother with this stuff.00:53
droid3Nobody in linux back in the day thought how can we make software installing more like microsoft .msi installer one button click answer a few things your done.00:53
droid3And i get it , because open source has different issues the close source00:54
droid3But really throwing more tools and more package managers with front ends arent going to do it.00:54
droid3To some point it will make it cumbersome.00:54
droid3And then it be like the planet of the apes where we go back to just to source builds where everybody uses readme files and have to setup there enviorment and build from source00:55
sarnoldheh, I think you're demonstrating now how little interest people have in reading the "how to build" notes :)00:56
droid3everytime they want to install an application they find on github , bitbucket , sourceforge...etc00:56
droid3Ya i have read so many manuals thru the years at this point i just want to get it up. No pun intended00:57
droid3And get it up in a usable form. And launchpad the root cause of my lack of abilities00:57
droid3to achieve this.00:57
sarnoldif you want to make a deb, ignore launchpad entirely until you have the deb build working locally00:58
droid3Its not building a local deb file it getting the .deb up with a ppa and it working for everybody.00:59
sarnoldsure, that's the end goal00:59
sarnoldbut break problems down into smaller pieces00:59
sarnoldget the deb building locally00:59
sarnoldonce that's fine, you can use launchpad recipes to do it for you over and over again00:59
sarnoldif you fixate on the final step you'll never make the first step01:00
droid3I can make a deb file that not the issue. But making it usable for everyone and getting a ppa for it is a different story. I imagine you have to go thru launchpad if its a ubuntu repo01:00
droid3My part is the ppa because without a ppa i cannt get somebody to add my deb so there package manager and front end gui see it.01:01
droid3So if there any easy method of here my deb file and out pops my ppa link for everybody then i am all set ???01:02
droid3Does it have to be a special ppa account or can a source.list file just use a regular https link from a bitbucket , github , or sourceforge website????01:03
droid3Or is there any launchpad services that will do this all for you and just give you ppa link if you upload your code or host your code with them???01:05
droid3I dont know but making software for linux/unix package managers to work with in the .deb , .rpm ....etc standard first main formats...01:06
droid3Its much harder then the other end of using package managers and software.01:07
droid3But if you migrate to microsoft windows its not the case at all creating software /installers dont have these issues of package managers01:08
droid3Partly because close source OS dont really need these type of distro based package managers.01:08
droid3close source suck because you dont have complete control.01:08
droid3However opensource sucks because to many people dont agree and make to many different forms of resolving dependency hell and installing software01:11
droid3Its this one issue with linux/unix that makes developers just host as source or host the binary with install scripts and hope for the best your machine is close enough to there for env.01:12
droid3Even if i make the deb. I still need a ppa. Unless users just like going to a webpage and i have a link to the .deb file01:13
droid3But using my own website users still have to know of my website in the first place.01:14
droid3Where as hosting thru launchpad with a ppa you kind of already have it in the launchpad repo enough where it show up...01:14
droid3Never mind thanks for the talk just brainstorming because i still dislike the flow of installing software for very very very noob people on linux. That dont know what there doing.01:15
droid3Its almost like launchpad is like the app store or google play store ,...etc if you can get a ppa link that is.01:16
droid3So my rant about .deb files isnt really my main issue its once i have a .deb file. Hosting it.01:16
droid3In a manner that appeals to everyone and that would be thru a google play store like thing such as launchpad ppa links add to peoples snap or ubuntu software manager.01:17
droid3So i guess in my brainstorming the issue is not really deb file format or making deb. But the issue is hosting the .deb in a manner that it always shows up easily for the ubuntu user.01:19
droid3And if its not in the main repo put there by launchpad then it have to be thru a ppa aka your own personal launchpad rep.01:20
droid3And that cool to then all i have to do is find some way to get the ppa popular or in the source.list file in every distro by default01:20
sarnoldthere are thousands of ppas on launchpad; none of them are in the software center01:20
sarnoldlaunchpad gives you instructions you can copy-and-paste to add the ppa to your sources01:21
sarnoldand users can add things via the software center themselves01:21
droid3right but i have problems getting a ppa in the first place that my issue.01:21
sarnoldbut if you want something reachable through the gui by default, that's either getting the software into debian or that's building a snap package01:21
sarnoldgetting the ppa is easy; https://launchpad.net/~/  click "Create a new PPA"01:21
droid3And if i had one my other issue is there an easy way by default that your ppa is automatically in everybody source.list file01:22
sarnoldthere is no way to get your ppa into everybody's sources.list files and there never will be.01:22
droid3Or perhaps someday ubuntu would have a button to add all ppa repo checkbox or something.01:22
droid3You know the way they do to change a mirror repo site source.01:23
droid3But something that you check off that turns on the apt search thru all PPA01:23
sarnoldthat will never exist01:24
sarnoldapt works by downloading package lists from configured repositories01:24
droid3Just thinking out loud but at the moment it just be nice to get a ppa: link to give out to friends or post on my website01:24
sarnoldlaunchpad hosts far too many ppas to make that remotely possible01:24
sarnoldgiving people a link to yours is easy01:24
droid3Really they couldnt create a search like google thru ppa in a reasonable amount of time.01:25
sarnoldgo to https://launchpad.net/~/ and click the ppa you want to share. the select the URL from your browser's title bar. copy. paste it to wheover.01:25
sarnoldhttps://launchpad.net/~seth-arnold/+archive/ubuntu/doghouse01:25
sarnoldenjoy mine, for example :)01:25
droid3See that what i mean how did you successfully make these01:28
droid3deb https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/seth-arnold/doghouse/ubuntu lunar main01:28
droid3When ever i tried in the passed i couldnt get launchpad to build anything it just failed in the process.01:28
droid3And that why i said getting the ppa was the impossible part for me.01:29
droid3sort of speak.01:29
droid3At least currently01:29
sarnolddroid3: https://imgur.com/a/HgHuDdp01:31
droid3Ya now i remember i had a big long discussion on why dput wasnt working for me along time ago.01:43
droid3So i guess i made the ppa i just cannt upload the stuff and have it not fail out so its not a usable link.01:43
droid3Also i notice you must be on lunar lobster version of ubuntu right sarnold01:45
sarnolddroid3: no, I've got a few 22.04 systems, a 20.04 system, an 18.04 system, and a 16.04 system01:46
droid3ok well did a search for doghouse got a bunch of them what ones your is another issue01:49
droid3Is your the one sarnold that says take voice conversations to the moon01:50
sarnolddroid3: no, mine is just a temporary place to put packages for a while or something like that01:53
droid3Ya but your ppa is just erroring out when i sudo update.02:03
droid3It does show your ppa description and the doghouse name.02:03
droid3Is this just a test dummy ppa or do you actually have a .deb package up there ?02:04
sarnoldI've only used it a few times, and only for a few days at a time. the last time I used it was months ago, before lunar existed; so I certainly didn't build the package for lunar :)02:05
droid3Ok well i found my launchpad account and logged in.02:07
droid3However i got less far as you. Because i created a PPA description02:08
droid3dput ppa:......   <sources.changes>02:09
droid3so i cannt get by dput apparently you have at least further then i have because you actually got a deb ppa url.02:09
sarnolddid you properly sign your upload? does launchpad have your gpg key?02:22
sarnoldlaunchpad will give you an email if there's a problem with your upload *except* if the package failed validation; if it fails validation you get no error at all02:23
droid3well it specifically says you cannt upload with dput a .deb package so you got to do it with some sort of source.changes02:37
droid3 file02:38
droid3How do you create that from the source package02:38
droid3ya i think when i did it last time it didnt pass validation. WTF is so hard about get a ppa link02:39
droid3Its such a convoluted piece of crap that you need to go thru to actually get what you want.02:40
droid3I am going to give up but i cannt believe i came back to this. Now i remember its not .deb package creation from source it the damn ppa  and dput.02:41
droid3Anyway at one time i might have had a pgp key but i think i am going to give up again with this for the final time unless they some how make this an easier process.02:42
droid3Like what the heck is sources.changes file what one and where do i find that.02:42
droid3Ok so i found it a directory up.02:49
droid3But now i get an issue of gpgme no data error after it tries to checking signature on .changes02:50
droid3SO this tells me i need to probably generate a gpg key at one time i had one so now i got to refigure out where the gpg key goes in this site or something.02:51
droid3Ya well forget it a last attempt at a huge pain in the as. I do see they also have snap so maybe all play with that on a boring night.02:55
droid3However sarnold i give up for now02:57
droid3But Flatpak vs Snaps vs Appimage  .... arrrr03:15
droid3So basically we dont have dependency hell we got package level hell03:16
droid3now03:16
droid3So what package managers fix back in the day rpm and deb files where invented.03:16
droid3aka dependency hell now we got a similar problem just at the final level the installer level.03:17
droid3Hence why microsoft msi installers and deploying/installing software on a windows machine is still easier for developers then binary distro package based installs on unix/linux03:18
droid3:(03:18
droid3Ok forget it really i hate not knowing stuff or solving it but there really no solution to this problem.03:19
droid3Its like the Uncol problem analogy for program language developers back in the day.03:20
droid3But much worse because most people dont adhere to the same package file format and package installer program03:20
=== Scotty_T|Away is now known as Scotty_Trees
Fantuhardening pnowack thanks for replies09:28
Fantusorry, wrong channel09:29
=== JanC_ is now known as JanC

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