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Monday, March 29 2010

Status of OCaml packages on Ubuntu Lucid Lynx (10.04 LTS): transition to OCaml 3.11.2 finished

By d. on Monday, March 29 2010, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

I don't know who are responsible for this but the OCaml packages of Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 LTS have all transitioned to OCaml 3.11.2 on main architectures (amd64 and i386). A big thank to the mysterious developer(s)! Even for secondary architectures, all packages have transitioned to 3.11.2 except 3 packages on armel: coq, ssreflect and why.

Of course, having a source OCaml package compiled with the correct version of the OCaml compiler does not make it automatically working so I encourage you to test your preferred Ubuntu OCaml packages in Lucid.

If we now compare the set of source packages available respectively on Debian Unstable and Ubuntu Lucid, the situation is not so perfect. On the 145 OCaml packages available in Unstable, 21 are not at the same stage in Lucid.

There are 5 packages simply not available in Ubuntu:

  • clang 2.6-3
  • llvm 2.6-8
  • llvm-snapshot 20100312-1
  • obrowser 1.1+dfsg-4
  • unison2.27.57 2.27.57-2

There are 11 packages that have been updated in Unstable but not upgraded in Lucid:

  • Package Unstable-version Lucid-Version
  • approx 4.2-1 4.1-1
  • camlpdf 0.5-1 0.4-4
  • coccinelle 0.2.2.deb-1 0.2.0.deb-1ubuntu2
  • graphviz 2.26.3-3 2.20.2-8ubuntu3
  • ocaml-csv 1.2.0-1 1.1.7-2
  • ocaml-ssl 0.4.4-1 0.4.3-3
  • ocaml-text 0.3-1 0.2-3
  • ocsigen 1.3.0-4 1.2.2-1
  • pgocaml 1.4-1 1.3-3
  • postgresql-ocaml 1.12.4-1 1.12.1-2
  • unison 2.32.52-1 2.27.57-2ubuntu2

And lastly there are 5 packages that had minor updates or packaging bug fix in Unstable but not in Lucid:

  • Package Unstable-version Lucid-Version
  • nurpawiki 1.2.3-4 1.2.3-3
  • frama-c 20090902+beryllium+dfsg-5 20090902+beryllium+dfsg-4
  • ocamlgraph 1.3+debian-2 1.3+debian-1
  • sks 1.1.1-2 1.1.1-1ubuntu2
  • ssreflect 1.2+dfsg-4 1.2+dfsg-3

I don't know what to do about those packages or if I can even do anything. According to Ubuntu Lucid release schedule, we are reaching Beta 2 Freeze (on April the 1st) where uploads for packages in main and restricted are held in the queue and are subject to manual approval of the release team.

Do you have any advice?

Beside that, we still have 124 OCaml source packages in good shape in Lucid!

5 comments

Thursday, March 18 2010

Looking for a C software for Formal Verification

By d. on Thursday, March 18 2010, 13:00 - Software Verification / Vérification de logiciel

As you probably know, I'm a huge fan of Formal Methods: use appropriate Mathematics and tools to ensure a program is correct in all possible situations. In other words, bug free software... well, sort of. :-)

The interesting side of this is that tools to apply Formal Methods have improved a lot and most of them are now Free Software. I'm maintaining a list of Free Software tools for Formal Methods (it is a wiki, you can update it!).

I would like to make an experiment with Frama-C and its plugins, especially Jessie. Frama-C is a framework for static analysis of C programs developed at CEA. Combined with the Why and Alt-Ergo tools, you can prove some properties on real C code (absence of integer underflow or overflow, absence of out-of-bound accesses, absence of NULL pointer de-referencing, program's specific properties, etc.). All those tools are Free Software and are developed in OCaml. And they now are available in Debian and Ubuntu!

I made a simple experiment last year but I would like to make a more elaborated one.

Therefore, I'm looking for a piece of C code with following criteria:

  • Free Software: I'm interested in improving software for the whole humankind; ;-)
  • Pure C code, no C++. If there is some assembly, I could work around for example by re-writting corresponding C function;
  • Code of moderate size, a few thousands line at most. It could be a sub-module or subset of a bigger code;
  • Code using mostly integers and pointers, few strings (aka char *)[1];
  • Verifying some properties on this code would be "interesting". Several possible reasons: for security or safety reasons, because the code is used in an embedded platform on which modifications are difficult once in production or simply because this code is used a lot.

If you know some software that fills those criteria, let me know through a comment or at dmentre@linux-france.org!

Notes

[1] Frama-C is a bit slow to handle strings and it can become cumbersome.

3 comments

Thursday, January 14 2010

Quick news: OCaml on Ubuntu Lucid and MapOSMatic

By d. on Thursday, January 14 2010, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

OCaml on Ubuntu Lucid

I have updated my scripts to compare Ubuntu OCaml packages to Debian ones. This time, I'm comparing Ubuntu Lucid against Debian testing, as for Lucid packages are imported from Debian testing (because Lucid is a Long Term Support release).

You'll find all the generated files here: http://bentobako.org/ubuntu-ocaml-status/raw/

MapOSMatic

As you have probably seen, we have done major improvements to MapOSMatic during Christmas, at both the web site level and the rendering level. I won't go into details, just read our initial announcement. Since then, we are continuing our improvements on maposmatic web front-end and ocitysmap back-end, with a new web site layout, translation of web site and maps in many languages (Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Catalan, Dutch, French, German, Italian and Russian). Many thanks to the numerous contributors!

We still have a lot of things to do or bugs to fix but the feedback is very positive and rewarding! Many thanks!

one comment

Thursday, December 3 2009

Installation of Linux Ubuntu Karmic Koala (9.10) on an ASUS UL30A-QX090V laptop

By d. on Thursday, December 3 2009, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

ASUS UL30A -- © 2009 David Mentré, license CC-BY-SA I recently installed an Ubuntu Karmic Koala (9.10) Linux distribution on an ASUS UL30A-QX090V laptop. The installation went rather smoothly. You'll find below the useful details.

Despite being in favour of reimbursement of software bundled with hardware, I decided to keep the pre-installed proprietary Windows 7 64 bits. It will allow me to test Windows 7, compare it with my Ubuntu system and test Free Software on Windows.

Under Windows 7: make room for Linux

One needs to make room for the Linux system on the 320 Gb hard disk. Fortunately, Windows is installed in a 74 GB partition and there is one 208 GB empty partition.

So, go to Windows icon -> Computer -> Right-click -> Manage -> Storage -> Disk Management. Three partitions are available:

  • 14,65 GB: no name and not mounted, probably for system re-installation;
  • 74,52 GB (C:) : Windows 7;
  • 208,92 GB (D:) : DATA, empty partition.

One needs to remove DATA partition. Right-click on this partition and choose Remove volume.

If you have a different laptop with no free partition, it might be useful to know that Windows Vista and Windows 7 can resize partitions using the same pre-installed program.

Under my current Ubuntu computer: prepare the USB installation key

I download the ISO image of the latest Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10 in 64 bits version: the machine has 4 GB of RAM and you can only access 3 GB with a 32 bits system.

After download, I checked that the MD5 checksum is correct. In a terminal, do "md5sum ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso" and search for the result in the UbuntuHashes web page.

I then use usb-creator to setup an USB key with this dowloaded image. Plug in your USB key. Start usb-creator from System -> Administration -> USB Boot Disk Creator. Select the ISO image you have just downloaded and chose the USB key you have just plugged in. Then press Create button. I chose to not use an area where data can be saved on the USB key.

By the way, usb-creator installs what is needed on the USB key and makes it bootable, but it keeps the FAT32 file system so the key can still be used as a regular USB key to share documents.

On the ASUS UL30A-QX090V Laptop: install Ubuntu

Plug in the USB key and power on the laptop.

By pressing F2 when the ASUS logo is displayed, go to the BIOS and configure it to boot on the USB key. The magic trick: the USB key is seen as a hard drive! So you must go to the hard drive boot order sub-menu to put the USB key in first position, before the real hard drive. Save and exit from the BIOS through F10.

The machine then reboots and should boot on the USB key (or do a cold start by powering off then powering on the laptop).

Install Ubuntu as usual. I used the biggest free space, letting Ubuntu chose the partitioning. As this is a laptop, I also chose to encrypt the user's home folder.

After a reboot, you now have a shiny new Linux system on your laptop! Enjoy! :-)

What's working

I haven't tested everything yet. Right now:

  • Working: wired and wireless network (WiFi tested using WPA2), sound output, display at native screen resolution, extended touchpad (emulation of mouse scroll wheel and right-click), processor frequency scaling according to actual use, SDHC card reader;
  • Not tested: sound input, webcam, battery autonomy, 3D acceleration[1], hibernation, external display output (VGA and HDMI);
  • Not woking: nothing yet! ;-)

Notes

[1] But special effects are available on the desktop, so I assume 3D acceleration can be used

11 comments

Thursday, November 19 2009

OCaml on Ubuntu: looking for a new maintainer

By d. on Thursday, November 19 2009, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

HELP At some point I helped keeping the OCaml packages on Ubuntu in good shape, especially for the Karmic 9.10 release.

Unfortunately, I have much less free time those days and can no longer monitor OCaml packages on Ubuntu. Is anybody willing to work on this?

The main job is to look at the Debian packages and check if they are currently available in Ubuntu, and rebuild them if necessary. When the OCaml compiler changes (fortunately not so often), one needs to trigger a rebuild of all packages and that can be a bit difficult, mainly because LaunchPad does not provide an interface to rebuild several packages, taking into account their dependencies.

Of course, I would help anybody willing to do that job (explain the needed scripts, issues I had, etc.).

3 comments

Thursday, July 23 2009

Transition to OCaml 3.11.1 has started in Karmic

By d. on Thursday, July 23 2009, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

OCaml I previously mentioned that Ubuntu Karmic currently ships with OCaml 3.11.0 and all associated libraries and programs. While it is nice to have a coherent set of OCaml packages, it would be much better to the latest coherent set of OCaml packages in Karmic! :-) Debian initiated its own transition to 3.11.1 about 4 weeks ago and this transition is nearly finished (and took in fact only 3 weeks).

I therefore raised the issue of such a transition for Karmic. After a few questions, it has been agreed upon to start a similar transition in Karmic. Moreover Andrea Gasparini, an Ubuntu's Master Of The Universe (aka MOTU), volunteered to help me. Se we opened the first bug initiating the transition. Overall, there are 124 source packages to synchronize or recompile in 6 successive rounds.

One can monitor the status of the transition of the Ubuntu OCaml transition monitor. A comparative list of source package versions between Debian unstable and Ubuntu karmic is also available.

Thursday, June 25 2009

Transition to OCaml 3.11.1 has started in Debian

By d. on Thursday, June 25 2009, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

Debian The 24th of June, the Debian package for new upstream OCaml 3.11.1 has been uploaded. Thus upload marks the start of the transition to OCaml 3.11.1 in Debian Sid (aka unstable). Right now, the new package has been successfully built on most of Debian supported architectures.

Following this first round, other packages are being uploaded in successive rounds. You can follow this transition on Stéphane Glondu's dedicated OCaml transition monitor.[1]

The count-down has started. We will see how much time it will take to do this transition for the 138 source packages.

Notes

[1] By the way, it appears Stéphane's code will be used in Ubuntu to monitor transition for Haskell packages.

Thursday, June 18 2009

Ubuntu 9.10 will ship with OCaml 3.11.0... for now

By d. on Thursday, June 18 2009, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

As I recently announced on caml-list@, all OCaml packages coming from Debian were correctly compiled against OCaml 3.11.0 in Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10 to be released in next October. That means that current Karmic has a coherent set of OCaml packages, which I consider a worthwhile property.

Unfortunately, OCaml 3.11.1 has just been released and Debian developers are starting a transition to OCaml 3.11.1 in Debian unstable. As until the 25th of June all packages are directly imported from Debian unstable to Ubuntu Karmic, that would break various OCaml packages in Karmic, certain packages being compiled with 3.11.0 while others with 3.11.1.

Consequently, after discussion with Debian and Ubuntu developers[1], I have decided:

  1. To block the automatic import of OCaml packages from Debian to Ubuntu[2]. This blocking is currently effective. So, from now, Karmic will ship with OCaml 3.11.0 and the current package versions;
  2. To monitor transition from 3.11.0 to 3.11.1 in Debian and, if done quickly enough, to trigger a similar transition in Karmic. The Feature Freeze is set to the 27th of August so this is the absolute limit date for such a transition to end.

I am also considering providing 3.11.1 packages through Ubuntu PPA (Personal Package Archive) system. But I first need to learn how to use it. :-) But even if Karmic does not ship with 3.11.1, Karmic+1 which is LTS (Long Term Support) will have it.

If you read this blog entry and have an issue with this decision, let me know either through the comments or by sending an email at: dmentre AT linux-france.org.

Notes

[1] Several Ubuntu people were in favor of also doing such a transition in Karmic, but I cannot commit to monitor and handle it during that time period.

[2] I have been pretty conservative and blocked all OCaml based packages (because an updated package might need in up-to-date version of OCaml). We might lift this constraint a bit and allows synchronization of certain packages. Right now, I have not seen any such need. You can monitor the status of out-of-sync package in Karmic on this page.

Thursday, June 11 2009

OCaml 3.11.0 on Ubuntu Karmic Koala nearly complete

By d. on Thursday, June 11 2009, 13:00 - Free Software / Libre

OCaml As I have previously stated, there is no OCaml developers on Ubuntu and all OCaml packages in Ubuntu are coming from Debian. So there is apparently no much work to do in order to have a large set of OCaml packages on Ubuntu. Except that there are synchronisation issues. :-)

Debian's OCaml packages are imported automatically from unstable repository a the beginning of each new development cycle of Ubuntu[1] until a Debian Import Freeze takes effect (the 25th of June according to Karmic release schedule). Once imported, packages are automatically build. But OCaml packages have a stringent need to be compiled in the right order and against the correct version of the OCaml tool chain. In case of change (e.g. going from 3.10.2 to 3.11.0) all packages should be recompiled.

Therefore, I have adapted original Debian's monitoring scripts to Ubuntu:

Ocaml transition monitor for Ubuntu

On the 124 of such OCaml packages in Ubuntu, only 3 have remaining issues:

Once done, all OCaml packages should be correctly rebuild for OCaml 3.11.0. \o/

Of course, OCaml 3.11.1 should be released Really Soon Now™ and all that work should be redone once again. "There is no such thing as a simple job".[2] ;-)

Notes

[1] One can monitor the import of new packages on page http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/n....

[2] Tim Daily, of Axiom's fame.

Monday, May 11 2009

Un client demexp pour Ubuntu 9.04 / amd64

By d. on Monday, May 11 2009, 13:00 - Vote électronique / demexp

J'ai compilé un client demexp (client de vote pour l'expérience démocratique) pour la version Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope en architecture amd64 (version 64 bits pour processeurs x86 d'Intel et d'AMD). Il est disponible dans cette archive.

J'ai aussi remis à jour le code et les notes de version dans les arbres Mercurial de la version de développement (la 0.9) et la dernière version stable 0.8.

Avec la doc fournie, il doit être relativement facile de compiler un client demexp stable 0.8 sur une Debian Lenny ou une Ubuntu 9.04, sur toutes les architectures x86, 32 ou 64 bits.

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