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Subject Author Date
SGI::FAM and File::PathConvert Peter Billam 06-14-2005
Posted by Peter Billam on June 14, 2005, 10:58 am
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Greetings. I've just installed SGI-FAM-1.002 (1997) and couldn't help
noticing that prerequisites File-PathConvert, which is now deprecated...

*** THIS MODULE (File::PathConvert) IS DEPRECATED. ****
There are several known bugs, and it is not being actively
maintained since all functionality is now available in
modules (Cwd.pm and File::Spec) bundled in every Perl
distribution of recent vintage. This version is provided to
fix a few bugs and to get the word out about the deprecation.
Please use Cwd::abs_path() instead of
File::PathConvert::realpath() and File::Spec methods instead
of all other path manipulation functions in this module.

I emailed the author jglick@sig.bsh.com to ask if there were any
plans for a version of SGI::FAM to take advantage of the bundled
Cwd.pm and File::Spec, but sendmail reported
Deferred: Connection timed out with sig.bsh.com

I think SGI::FAM only uses File-PathConvert in one line,
in sub abspath, in lib/SGI/FAM.pm.

Possibly (see http://ayesha.phys.virginia.edu/~bryan/projects/famids/ )
it could also be nice to stop SGI::FAM testing for /etc/fam.conf,
because then it could work seamlessly with Gamin (otherwise very
python-biased :-( ) but I can't see where it does that ...

What's the right thing to do here ?

Is there a procedure for putting modules up for adoption ?

Regards, Peter

--

Peter Billam, DPIWE/CIT/Servers, hbt/lnd/l8, 6233 3061


Posted by Jim Keenan on June 14, 2005, 11:52 am
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Peter Billam wrote:
> Greetings. I've just installed SGI-FAM-1.002 (1997) and couldn't help
> noticing that prerequisites File-PathConvert, which is now deprecated...
> [snip]
>
> I emailed the author jglick@sig.bsh.com to ask if there were any
> plans for a version of SGI::FAM to take advantage of the bundled
> Cwd.pm and File::Spec, but sendmail reported
> Deferred: Connection timed out with sig.bsh.com
>

That's not surprising. As you reported SGI::FAM hasn't been updated
since 1997. Is it any wonder that its author can no longer be reached
at that e-mail address?

> I think SGI::FAM only uses File-PathConvert in one line,
> in sub abspath, in lib/SGI/FAM.pm.
>

Okay, then for your own purposes you should create a version of
SGI::FAM which implements the suggestions made re Cwd and File::Spec.

> Possibly (see http://ayesha.phys.virginia.edu/~bryan/projects/famids/ )
> it could also be nice to stop SGI::FAM testing for /etc/fam.conf,
> because then it could work seamlessly with Gamin (otherwise very
> python-biased :-( ) but I can't see where it does that ...
>

Have you tried contacting the 'bryan' who appears to be the author of
that script?


> What's the right thing to do here ?
>
> Is there a procedure for putting modules up for adoption ?
>

IMHO, the Perl community hasn't developed a good procedure for this and
a variety of problems that are bound to occur more frequently as CPAN
ages. There certainly is a procedure for transferring maintenance of
CPAN modules. That's done via pause.perl.org and has been done many
times. But it tends to assume that the original author or current
maintainer (a) can be contacted via e-mail and (b) is willing to turn
over maintenance. I don't know whether we have ever transferred
maintenance of a module by a noncontactable author.

Speaking personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a system whereby CPAN would
annually try to verify the validity of every author's e-mail address,
and then post a listing of "noncontactable" authors. If after, say,
three months, the author has not materialized, then any of that
author's modules which have not received a new version in, say, two
years would be put up for "bid" for new maintenance.

How would we determine who would win the "bid"? Don't have the answer
to that one yet -- and I'm sure there will be 10K opinions. But if we
do get a new maintainer, we can always retire the older version to the
backpan (or whatever it's called), so that if the original author one
day surfaces, we can claim we did the right thing by him/her.

jimk



Posted by Peter Billam on June 16, 2005, 9:38 am
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Peter Billam wrote:
> Greetings. I've just installed SGI-FAM-1.002 (1997) and couldn't help
> noticing that prerequisites File-PathConvert, which is now deprecated...
> [snip]
> I emailed the author jglick@sig.bsh.com to ask if there were any
> plans for a version of SGI::FAM to take advantage of the bundled
> Cwd.pm and File::Spec, but sendmail reported
> Deferred: Connection timed out with sig.bsh.com

Jim Keenan wrote:
>
> That's not surprising. As you reported SGI::FAM hasn't been updated
> since 1997. Is it any wonder that its author can no longer be reached
> at that e-mail address?

Indeed not :-) , but I thought it correct procedure to try.

>> I think SGI::FAM only uses File-PathConvert in one line,
>> in sub abspath, in lib/SGI/FAM.pm.
> Okay, then for your own purposes you should create a version of
> SGI::FAM which implements the suggestions made re Cwd and File::Spec.
>
>> Possibly (see http://ayesha.phys.virginia.edu/~bryan/projects/famids/ )
>> it could also be nice to stop SGI::FAM testing for /etc/fam.conf,
>> because then it could work seamlessly with Gamin (otherwise very
>> python-biased :-( ) but I can't see where it does that ...
> Have you tried contacting the 'bryan' who appears to be the author of
> that script?

I just installed File-PathConvert. I wouldn't really want to put
any work into this if I can't then contribute the result to CPAN.

>> What's the right thing to do here ?
>> Is there a procedure for putting modules up for adoption ?
>
> IMHO, the Perl community hasn't developed a good procedure for this
> and a variety of problems that are bound to occur more frequently
> as CPAN ages. [snip] I don't know whether we have ever transferred
> maintenance of a module by a noncontactable author.
>
> Speaking personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a system whereby CPAN would
> annually try to verify the validity of every author's e-mail address,
> and then post a listing of "noncontactable" authors. If after, say,
> three months, the author has not materialized, then any of that
> author's modules which have not received a new version in, say,
> two years would be put up for "bid" for new maintenance.

I'll second that.

Regards, Peter

--

Peter Billam, DPIWE/CIT/Servers, hbt/lnd/l8, 6233 3061


Posted by Peter Billam on June 20, 2005, 4:39 pm
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> Greetings. I've just installed SGI-FAM-1.002 (1997) and couldn't help
> noticing that prerequisites File-PathConvert, which is now deprecated...
> I emailed the author jglick@sig.bsh.com to ask if there were any
> plans for a version of SGI::FAM to take advantage of the bundled
> Cwd.pm and File::Spec, but sendmail reported
> Deferred: Connection timed out with sig.bsh.com
> Possibly (see http://ayesha.phys.virginia.edu/~bryan/projects/famids/ )
> it could also be nice to stop SGI::FAM testing for /etc/fam.conf,
> because then it could work seamlessly with Gamin (otherwise very
> python-biased :-( ) but I can't see where it does that ...
>
> What's the right thing to do here ?
>
> Is there a procedure for putting modules up for adoption ?

I've another problem with SGI::FAM; I'm moving a Fedora2 FAM thing up
to Fedora3's gamin, which is supposed to be a mostly drop-in replacement.
Compiling SGI::FAM on Fedora3 runs into
FAM.xs:11:17: fam.h: No such file or directory
followed of course by hundreds of error messages :-( And indeed,
on Fedora3 /usr/include/fam.h isn't there, whereas on Fedora2 it is.
Neither is there any /usr/include/gamin.h for me to symlink :-)
I guess it's unsafe for me to just copy my Fedora2 fam.h over
into the Fedora3 /usr/include/ ?

Any help gratefully received, Regards, Peter

--

Peter Billam, DPIWE/CIT/Servers, hbt/lnd/l8, 6233 3061


Posted by Peter Billam on June 21, 2005, 9:22 am
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>
> I've another problem with SGI::FAM; I'm moving a Fedora2 FAM thing up
> to Fedora3's gamin, which is supposed to be a mostly drop-in replacement.
> Compiling SGI::FAM on Fedora3 runs into
> FAM.xs:11:17: fam.h: No such file or directory

Daniel Veillard of gamin-list@gnome.org replied:

> make sure you have gamin-devel installed.

:-)

Ideally, this would go into the SGI::FAM pod, or even into Makefile.PL...

Regards, Peter

--

Peter Billam, DPIWE/CIT/Servers, hbt/lnd/l8, 6233 3061


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