Re: [PATCH] gnu: Add pybitmessage, [PATCH] gnu: Add python2-pyqt-4, [PAT

[ng0 <contact.ng0@cryptolab.net>]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this discussion is too offtopic for the guix-devel
mailinglist. If anyone thinks it is, please respond.

On 17-02-17 18:19:24, Peter Šurda wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 04:41:31PM +0000, ng0 wrote:
> > I don't really feel part of this conversation, but since you keep CC'ing
> > me I have to reply.
> I keep CCing you because I don't know if my messages will make it into
> the list, and I don't know who is doing what.
> 
> > > https://bitmessage.org/wiki/Compiling_instructions#Resolve_dependencies

Interesting, how did you achieve the redirection to .onion? Is the what I guess
to be javascript available publicly somewhere?

> > This is not accesible from behind restrictive proxies and networks like
> > tor, so I have to pass on this.
> There is at the moment a snapshot mirror available for testing new web
> infrastructure with the goal to improve the experience. I manually
> copied over the Guix instructions so that you can view those too:
> 
> https://test.bitmessage.org/wiki/Compiling_instructions#Resolve_dependencies

I think this approach is wrong, or we fail to communicate directly.
If you want to compile PyBitmessage from source
on Guix. there is a "guix package" function for that (refer to the Guix
documentation, invoking guix package). For the target group 'novice
users' you made, a simple 'guix package -i pybitmessage' will do it.
You can instruct this to be run entirely without binary substitutes.

The tests for this package run on our infrastructure, so failing builds
will be picked up for multiple architectures.

I'm not sure wether this page addresses developers or users (that's the
only distinction I would make as documentation and interest of those
differs).

> > I did the initial packaging of PyBitmessage on GuixSD but there is no
> > maintainer per package, whoever wants to update can update it.
> Ok.
> 
> > Since all my questions, improvements, and attempts to contribute have
> > been blocked and/or forgotten by the PyBitmessage project I don't want
> > to have this discussion in my inbox longer than necessary.
> I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm now doing most of the work and have to
> balance between the various aspects of the whole project of which coding
> is just one part. I cannot reprioritise based on or even track the
> communication of a single user. I need to think about the bigger picture
> and whole community. I just bought a 3400 EUR server for VMs so that I
> can test the PyBitmessage on the zillions of OS variants around there. I
> monitor the web so that I can react to bug reports no matter when they
> appear.

My criticism and suggestions were prior to this situation, but thanks
for explaining to me why it has never really been picked up.

> The project now has clear(er) contribution guidelines:
> 
> https://bitmessage.org/wiki/Contribute
> 
> or on the test mirror:
> 
> https://test.bitmessage.org/wiki/Contribute
> 
> and you can get paid in Bitcoin for providing commits that get merged.
> 
> Translations have been integrated with transifex and a webhook will
> automatically create a pull request when a language is complete. All
> commits are PGP signed.
> 
> The current cycle focused on bugfixes and refactoring of some horrible
> parts. There are also some minor but nice usability improvements that
> are particularly important for beginners.
> 
> Extended encoding is available for experimenting and is written in a
> developer-friendly way. The project registered #bitmessage on freenode
> and the website will be migrated to better infrastructuer after 0.6.2
> comes out.
> 
> > LibreSSL support is at least one improvement I welcome.  Any news on
> > the use of setuptools, and the move to PyQt5?
> PyQt5 is not a priority. It may be better to have separate projects for
> a library written in C, and a GUI written in, perhaps, PyQt5. But I

Okay, sounds reasonable. Last year I explained why I'm not really happy
with PyQt4 and why I think depending on Windows XP is a mistake. PyQt5
is available for Windows XP, in case that's the blocker someone failed
to see.

> don't have time for it, maybe if I can raise funds and pay someone to do
> that while I focus on the bugfixes and protocol.
> 
> I'll look at setuptools in the current cycle (i.e. in the next week or
> two).
> 
> > ng0 -- https://www.inventati.org/patternsinthechaos/
> 
> -- 
> Peter Šurda
> Bitmessage core developer

-- 
ng0 -- https://www.inventati.org/patternsinthechaos/