#906056 ITP: xserver-xorg-video-sunffb -- X.Org X server -- Sun FFB display driver

#906056#5
Date:
2018-08-13 17:05:14 UTC
From:
To:
* Package name    : xserver-xorg-video-sunffb
  Version         : 1.2.2
* URL             : http://www.x.org
* License         : MIT/X
  Programming Lang: C
  Description     : X.Org X server -- Sun FFB display driver

This package provides the driver for Sun Creator, Creator3D, and Elite3D
video devices.

More information about X.Org can be found at:
<URL:http://www.X.org>

This package is built from the X.org xf86-video-sunffb driver module.


This driver was previously removed from Debian along with sparc support.
With the sparc64 Debian port, it has become useful again.

I'd like to re-introduce it into Debian to provide support for the
aforementioned video adapters, found in certain Sun Microsystems
graphical workstations.

For the time being, I'd like to maintain it together with the Debian
sparc/sparc64 port team, and if possible, with the X Strike Force at
a later point of time.

Despite being useful only on Sun graphical workstations, the package
builds fine on any architecture, so I think it would be acceptable to
include it on the Debian package servers.

The project hasn't received any upstream updates in a long time,
but was not deprecated and is still supported in recent X.Org versions.

#906056#10
Date:
2018-08-13 17:12:03 UTC
From:
To:
I disagree.  The package should only build on sparc/sparc64 so doesn't
need to be in Debian at this time.  What purpose would building/shipping
it anywhere else serve?

Cheers,
Julien

#906056#15
Date:
2018-08-13 17:26:11 UTC
From:
To:
currently a ports-only architecture, so the package would have to go into the
"unreleased" repository, making it more tedious to maintain.

This was suggested by John:
https://lists.debian.org/debian-sparc/2018/08/msg00087.html

I'd very much like to get it closer to a state that is acceptable for the XSF,
so any advice is appreciated.

I'm maintaining the package here:
https://salsa.debian.org/onitake-guest/xserver-xorg-video-sunffb
And a previous upload to mentors is here:
https://mentors.debian.net/package/xserver-xorg-video-sunffb

#906056#20
Date:
2018-08-14 12:03:36 UTC
From:
To:
Hi Julien!

It's a workaround to be able to upload the package to unstable.

Uploading a package that does not produce any builds on the release
architectures would result in the source package being removed
immediately by the FTP servers.

What we could do is actually split the package into an arch:all
and arch:sparc64 part (e.g. documentation) so that the package
gets build for arch:all and can be uploaded to unstable.

Adrian

#906056#25
Date:
2018-08-14 12:09:02 UTC
From:
To:
I don't understand why that is a requirement.  The package could just as
well live in debian-ports, like other sparc-specific packages (I assume
e.g. silo lives there).  That all sounds backwards to me.

Cheers,
Julien

#906056#30
Date:
2018-08-14 12:18:49 UTC
From:
To:
We are actually trying to get rid of these packages which is one reason
why we have switched from SILO to GRUB. The second one is that SILO is
unmaintained upstream and 32-bit only.

Currently we have only sparc-utils which is in "unreleased" and the problem
is there that "unreleased" has to be maintained manually and it's not
possible to perform source-only uploads. "unreleased" is rather a stopgap
solution rather than something you want to use in the longterm.

Adrian