Re: "optim needs miscellaneous >= 1.0.10" problem

[Ben Abbott]

On Apr 3, 2012, at 4:42 AM, Sergei Steshenko wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso <address@hidden>
>> To: Sergei Steshenko <address@hidden>
>> Cc: Thomas Weber <address@hidden>; "address@hidden" <address@hidden>
>> Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 12:19 AM
>> Subject: Re: "optim needs miscellaneous >= 1.0.10" problem
>> 
>> On 1 April 2012 17:02, Sergei Steshenko <address@hidden> wrote:
>>> I'm wondering hoe many years it will take to convince that Octave
>>> and packages should be released in conjunction with each other.
>> 
>> We're not doing this to spite you. OF Packages are released separately
>> because it's too much work to do it together and OF package developers
>> sometimes see Octave as a foreign black box instead of something they
>> should work with.
>> 
>> - Jordi G. H.
> 
> You are doing this because of lack of understanding of importance of proper 
> integration and QA.
> 
> Had you been releasing Octave and packages together, you would have had much 
> less bugs in Octave pkg.m and in packages themselves. I.e. building _all_ the 
> packages with an Octave version is a very good test for both Octave and 
> packages.
> 
> I am saying _very_ tirvial things - look at a Linux distro for example - it 
> is released with thousands of packages. And if a package from an official 
> repository can't be installed, it is considered to be a bug.
> 
> Regards,
>   Sergei.

I don't think it is doe to a lack of understanding. I think we'd all like to 
have Octave Forge's packages have releases that coincide with those of Octave.

That would eliminate problems with users of 3.2.4 trying to install a package 
that has 3.6.1 as a prerequisite, and I think we all recognize there is value 
in that.

The problem is a lack of volunteers to do the work. Beyond the need to place 
Octave Forge packages on version control and handling formal releases, a lot of 
administration, testing, and qualifying packages for new Octave releases would 
be required.

I'd like to see more activity in this area, but cringe at the thought of 
participating myself. Thus, I am grateful to those who actually have taken on 
responsibility and are actively doing the work.

Ben