Packaging For Idiots

Saijin_Naib

I'm not a developer. I'm mostly a Windows user, but I have been using Linux on & off since about 2008.
I'd really like to see FreeCAD in the Solus Software Center (not via snap/flatpack/appimage), so I tried following the guide to package it up.

I can't seem to get anywhere. Is there another, more beginner-friendly resource for getting introduced to this workflow so I can try to contribute softwares that I'd like to see/use, without me having to ask everyone to do it for me?

Success:
GIT clone FreeCAD
GIT clone required dependencies
Copy of Solus eopkg scripts to source directories

Failures:
Building the projects

Thanks.

Staudey

I'd start here:

Staudey

Note that FreeCAD is probably not the easiest thing to package. People have tried in the past.
https://dev.getsol.us/T208

Saijin_Naib

Staudey Sounds about right for me that I'd pick something difficult with absolutely no skill in this whatsoever 🙄

Looking at that issue, yep, I failed to get/compile/package all the sub-dependencies, so I'm in good company, at least.

downhill

Saijin_Naib If you really need/want FreeCAD, run another distro that has it available in its repos. Debian has it in all of its repos; Stretch, Buster, Testing, and Unstable. If you don't want to multi-boot, you could always run a VM using VirtualBox.

https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=FreeCAD&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all

Saijin_Naib

downhill
Unfortunately, I'm moving away from Debian because Solus has the GIS programs I want access to way more up to date 🤣

There's no distro perfect for me, it seems.

WhiteWolf

downhill FreeCAD should be in Solus repos, it's really essential for many students and if Solus want to go a mainstream desktop system it needs to have support.

downhill

Saijin_Naib Debian Unstable repos currently have v0.0.19 of the GIS packages. Of course, you'd have to know how to install Debian Unstable and then know how to update it appropriately or you risk hosing your system. Debian Unstable is not as user-friendly as Solus when updating.

kyrios

If I recall correctly, FreeCAD depends on PySide2 (Qt for Python) which is not in the repository yet.
So first thing is to find someone who can build & maintain shiboken2/pyside2.

palto42

kyrios I had a look at the PySide2 source and can't find archives to download, only git clone seems possible. Is it possible to use the Solus packaging with git clone instead of archive packages as source?

Saijin_Naib

downhill fair points, but even unstable is pushing QGIS LTR, for instance. Insufficient for my uses.
Solus wins handily, here. FreeCAD is a nice to have for me, QGIS is life.

DataDrake

palto42 It's an official Qt project now: https://download.qt.io/official_releases/QtForPython/pyside2/

palto42

DataDrake Thanks!
Found that there is already an open task T8260 for building PySide2 and that it seems a bit difficult.
I think it doesn't make sense to retry T208 before we get PySide2 solved.

kyrios

palto42 isn't it what I said? 😉