Software packaging - src packages

I've just committed to svn an update to the host-package-release script that causes it to create a reprap-host-src-RELEASE.zip as well as a binary reprap-host-RELEASE.zip package. LGPL seems to require something along these lines.

I'm not planning to put a reprap-host-src-0.8.zip out there, we'll just make sure we do a reprap-host-src-0.8.1.zip next time we release.

If anyone wants to play with this (and check I included everything in the src package that I should have!), try

cd ~/workspace/Reprap && svn update && ./host-package-release

and then look at the two .zip files you just created. Feedback welcomed!

Jonathan

yo

i was just about to do something similar. although it seems wasteful and a PITA to have to release two files for each release. why dont we just go the electronics route and include the src in every single release. its really not very big at all (~1M without .svn files)

(1) IMO, it's confusing for end users to see a pile of 72 or so .java files they have absolutely no use for. That makes the software look less friendly, IMO. Packaging is all about making the software as friendly to install and run as we can reasonably make it.

(2) Also, this is the way most FOSS software is distributed -- a binary package for end users, and a source package for developers. Once we start packaging as .rpm and .deb, this distinction will be made for us by those packaging systems anyway, without significant extra messing about to work around them.

Jonathan

i dunno... i really dislike the idea of distributing a separate source package. its extra work thats distracting. if there is a src directory in the package, its blatantly obvious what it is. if its not, all we have to do is put some info in the readme to explain what the various files are.

as for developers... isnt that why we have subversion? for easy source code access??

Now the script to create both .zip packages is already written and working, the "extra work" is... one ~700Kbyte file upload and release of it in FRS, right? So, unless we're going to be doing several host software releases per week (which I *hope* we don't ever need to do!), the amount of such "extra work| is very small indeed.

I'm expecting our maximum host software release frequency to be more like one release/week, and hopefully that will slow down to one/month or less before too much longer. People who really want/need to stay on the bleeding edge of host software development will be using svn anyway.

If Adrian gives me "the power" to release files into FRS, I'm willing to do that amount of work for the src packages each time we release. It is work that we'll soon be doing anyway for .rpm and .deb releases. Why not keep the approach parallel for all our package formats?

Jonathan

okies... as long as you're willing to do the extra work, i'm cool with it =)

I am willing. I just need to be granted the privs on SF to actually release stuff on FRS... until I get that capability, well, erm... I'll need to delegate releasing to you :-)

Jonathan

I built the stepper board and burned the pic and have the LED on. How do I get the stepper exerciser software on windows XP? I see the C sources files and the compiled hex codes, but where is the control software. I am getting a book on Java!

englewood.. its part of the host software. download and setup the reprap host software as per the instructions on the wiki page and then follow the instructions on the universal controller page.