EPEL and Java Projects.

[Stephen John Smoogen]

Hi James..

I have mulled over this a bit. my answers are inline.

On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 7:08 PM, Nathan Potter <ndp at opendap.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> Greetings,
>
> My group is looking at bringing our project into EPEL. Among the reasons for
> doing so is to provide our users with ABI stability. The project is a web
> service application that is built from a C++ coded back-end that is driven
> by user requests through a java servlet. The way that C and C++ projects are
> brought into fedora and along into EPEL seems pretty clearly documented, as
> are the ABI stability benefits that are part of EPEL design goals.
>
> However I am seeing almost no discussion about the java side of the
> equation.
>
> Can you point me to any specific documents or guidelines that would help me
> get educated on what the issues are with bringing a java project into EPEL?
> IS there any discussion of ABI stability with regards to Java? Or is API
> stability the only real issue for java?

To be honest, we are going to have to work hand in hand on this. Some
software has gotten in and some has not but why has not been
documented as well as it should be.

The steps for getting software into EPEL would be that it first must
get into Fedora (even if it is only built for EPEL). This means the
software must be licensed appropriately and that it and all its
subcomponents meet Fedora's packaging requirements. The biggest hurdle
for Java software is where a project requires a specific API version
of some library and just bundles it into its own self. These things
need to be unbundled and kept seperate so that security/bug fixes do
not get missed.

I would start by joining the Java list and going over what you have
and how it would be best put together.

https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/java-devel



> I did find this page:
>
>    http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/GuidelinesAndPolicies
>
> Where I learned that EPEL projects must follow the Fedora Packaging and
> Maintenance Guidelines, and which led me to this:
>
>    http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/Guidelines
>
> Which led me to this:
>
>    http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:Java
>
> Where the details of including an ant project are discussed. However my core
> questions about ABI vs API stability vis-a-vis EPEL remain unanswered.
>
> Additionally, the page on packaging java provides examples of "Specfile
> Templates". Is there also a resource to which you may direct me where I can
> learn about the format and role of the Specfiles in the RPM process?
>
>
>
> Any help you could offer me in this regard would be most appreciated.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Nathan
>
> = = =
> Nathan Potter                        ndp at opendap.org
> OPeNDAP, Inc.                        +1.541.231.3317
>
>
>
>
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>



-- 
Stephen J Smoogen.

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?
-- Robert Browning