[SyncEvolution] Debian building packages for syncevolution 1.5.1 and TDE backends

[deloptes]

Patrick Ohly wrote:

> On Tue, 2016-06-28 at 00:26 +0200, deloptes wrote:
>> I noticed there is no package for stretch - for jessie and sid there is
>> one - what are the plans or what is the story?
>> This is also version 1.4.99 - why not 1.5.1 (I mean at least sid)?
>> 
>> https://packages.debian.org/sid/syncevolution
> 
> I think it had to be removed because it no longer compiled in stretch.
> 1.5.1 needs to be uploaded, then it can migrate to stretch again.
> 

Thank you Patric, I just realized why
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=824426 ,
perhaps I should try with the git code of syncevolution.

>> I also did not understand how I can get the TDE backends into the
>> syncevolution code tree, or what you would advise to do with backends
>> that target specific desktop environment (TDE)?
> 
> I think it would be best to include it in the upstream release. Then it
> is easier for distros to enable it, if they want. OTOH, if a distro
> wants, they can already now grab the SyncEvolution source, add the
> backend directory from a separate archive or location, and compile both
> together.
> 
> But there's one unsolved problem either way: distros most likely use the
> glib D-Bus bindings. It is the more modern solution. When enabling the
> TDE backend, distros would have to use the same workaround as you did
> and switch back to the libdbus-based bindings. Not sure whether that's a
> viable long term solution.
> 

I don't know who to ask but I'll discuss this with the TDE people, thanks.
This dbus issue is on the todo list as well.

>> There are couple of options and I have no idea what is the best way. The
>> TDE team could provide packages, or it could go through the supported
>> distros. What would you advise?
>>
>> Here is reference to TDE: http://www.trinitydesktop.org/
> 
> Are there distros which include TDE or is the normal approach to use the
> packages prepared by the TDE team for certain distros?
> 
> If TDE is not included in a distro and SyncEvolution is, then the distro
> can't compile the TDE backend. In that case the TDE team could try to
> compile the backend against the SyncEvolution version provided by the
> distro, but that's tricky - I'm not even sure whether distros install
> all the header files, and a custom makefile would have to be written for
> the backend.
> 
TDE is not included in a distro. It is installed on top, being independent
from other desktops shipped with the distro.
This makes the case even more complicated, because if in example Debian
ships syncevolution with evolution and akonadi/kde backend, TDE should
demand from Debian compiling with tdepim support or provide own (TDE)
packages that would add tdepim backend (as you describe below). Same for
SuSE etc ...

> Another alternative would be to provide SyncEvolution packages as part
> of TDE, overriding the ones provided by the distro. That's also not a
> good solution and something that I am currently struggling with in the
> project, because for example, Ubuntu has non-upstream patches and
> SyncEvolution must be compiled exactly as chosen by Ubuntu, otherwise
> the replacement would not work as the original, distro-provided
> packages.
> 

I understand, thanks again. I think perhaps it's best to merge syncevolution
and plugins in TDE and build own packages for now. If you add the code to
syncevolution and it goes around several distros, it would be harder to
update and I have still few places for improvement, though overall I did
not have any issue in the past few months.

thanks and regards

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