Bug#164903: Megahal package.
On Fri, 22 Aug 2003, Laurent Fousse wrote:
> Are you still interested in adopting megahal? I'm not a debian
> developper but I'm also interested in the package.
>
Yes, I've been working on it off and on for the last month.
> Thanks to David I'm also involved upstream, my changes should be
> commited in cvs soon. I've asked debian-qa if someone wants to upload
> my package.
>
Likewise, David added me to upstream, but set my role as packager...
In http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?archive=no&bug=183197
martin f. krafft <madduck@debian.org> offered to sponsor the package. The
only requirement left that he wants is for the source package to be pgp
signed. My key is on my broken home machine. I've been doing development
work on my work machine...
> If you like we can try to work together, merge our work if you have
> something ready as well.
>
I'd love to work together on this. I don't have much to merge though. My
approach was/is much more conservative than yours, far less detailed too.
> My package is available here:
>
> http://komite.net/laurent/debian/megahal/
>
> The python and the perl library need beta-testing, and we should add a
> C library (closing #107318).
>
Looking over the changes I have some questions and comments...
- I would have forgot to update megahal_interfaces(3) after applying the
patch. I didn't apply the patch...
- I don't know if it's a good idea to split the package as some of the
packages seem rather small. The ftp people may reject the additional
packages.
- I must have missed it, but the Apps/Science suggestion, sounds good.
- Did you make all the changes necessary to update the standards number? I
was having trouble with implementing 10.1.
- You should really use version 9.1.0-x as the last upstream release was
9.1.0. You might also want to consider doing a new upstream release as I
had suggested to everyone listed as a MegaHal developer.
Looking of the source I have some comments:
- You probably shouldn't include your CVS info. Try a checkout as
anonymous if you feel even having the CVS directory is a good thing.
(I'm not sure)
- I had to pick a changelog from either Debian and/or Megahal. I either
chose the more detailed one, or amalgamated the two. I didn't look that
closely to see what you did.
- I like how you handled the python dependency... much nicer than my
solution. I'm guessing the correct python version gets set as a
binary dependency?
- Hmm, I missed the copyright file update. What did lintian tell you? It
didn't seem to tell me anything.
- You should probably say the manpage was originals written by David and
then modified by you.
- For the Debian version I'd like the no brain found to suggest that the
user might want to use megahal_personal. It would also be nice to tell
the user that MegaHal needs to be taught... maybe something the #quit
command too.
After writing most of this I'm getting the feeling that you have more
energy than me for working on this package... I suggest you consider my
comments and then ask my sponsor if he'd sponsor you.
I'd still like to split out the debian directory and make the sources non
Debian native. That way to do an debian update you don't have to upload
the entire source archive.
I still want to do an audit of MegaHal, especially if it's to be run
exposed to non local users. I.e. as a bot on IRC. To do this audit I'm
going to start with all the warnings (even low ones) from rats.
Fwiw, you may be interested to know that there are "better" conversation
simulators out there. I.e. ones that fooled more judges at the Lobner
Turing Test competition. I like MegaHal for the algorithm that it uses.
I'd even like to modify the algorithm a bit, but I think it'd be better
for me to create a new project to do that.
Drew Daniels
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