Edit : I ve now managed to roll out my contribution which is now in production on packages.qa.debian.org. See a later post I ve made on the subject, and beware that the generated RDF has changed a bit also. ADMS.SW proposes specifications for description of software present in software catalogues. I ve tried and apply it to the contents of the Debian Package Tracking System (PTS), using transformation of the information known by the PTS to RDF+XML. The result is not yet in production, but here s an example of what can be done, using the Turtle syntax (more readable) :
<style type="text/css"> .T1 color:#000000; font-size:14pt; font-weight:bold; .T2 color:#000000; font-size:12pt; .T3 color:#000000; font-size:8.5pt; .T4 color:#0000ff; font-size:8.5pt; .T5 color:#a020f0; font-size:8.5pt; .T6 color:#228b22; font-size:8.5pt; .T7 color:#b22222; font-size:8.5pt; .T8 color:#008b8b; font-size:8.5pt; .T9 color:#8b2252; font-size:8.5pt; .dp1 .dp2 </style> @base <http://packages.qa.debian.org/> .
@prefix rdf: <http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22 rdf syntax ns#> .
@prefix admssw: <http://purl.org/adms/sw/> .
@prefix doap: <http://usefulinc.com/ns/doap#> .
@prefix dcterms: <http://purl.org/dc/terms/> .
@prefix rdfs: <http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf schema#> .
@prefix foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/> .
@prefix schema: <http://schema.org/> .
@prefix spdx: <http://www.spdx.org/rdf/terms#> .
@prefix : <http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml> .
@prefix str: <http://exslt.org/strings> . #
# First the packaging project for apache2 in Debian
#
# <http://packages.qa.debian.org/apache2> resource :
<apache2>
a admssw:SoftwareProject ;
doap:name "apache2" ;
doap:description "Debian apache2 source packaging" ;
doap:homepage "http://packages.debian.org/src:apache2" ;
schema:contributor [
a foaf:OnlineAccount ;
foaf:accountName "Debian Apache Maintainers" ;
foaf:accountServiceHomepage <http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=debian apache@lists.debian.org>
], [
a foaf:OnlineAccount ;
foaf:accountName "Stefan Fritsch" ;
foaf:accountServiceHomepage <http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=sf@debian.org>
], [
a foaf:OnlineAccount ;
foaf:accountName "Steinar H. Gunderson" ;
foaf:accountServiceHomepage <http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=sesse@debian.org>
], [
a foaf:OnlineAccount ;
foaf:accountName "Arno T ll" ;
foaf:accountServiceHomepage <http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=arno@debian.org>
] ;
# pointer to the release in the different suites :
doap:release <apache2_2.2.16 6+squeeze7>, <apache2_2.2.22 11>, <apache2_2.4.2 2>. #
# Now the different debian package source releases
#
# <http://packages.qa.debian.org/apache2_2.2.16 6+squeeze7> resource
<apache2_2.2.16 6+squeeze7>
a admssw:SoftwareRelease ;
rdfs:label "apache2 2.2.16 6+squeeze7" ;
admssw:project <apache2> ;
dcterms:description "Debian apache2 source package version 2.2.16 6+squeeze7" ;
doap:revision "2.2.16 6+squeeze7" . # This one is the reference version for the PTS as in unstable, so
# contains more details than the others
<apache2_2.2.22 11>
a admssw:SoftwareRelease ;
rdfs:label "apache2 2.2.22 11" ;
admssw:project <apache2> ;
dcterms:description "Debian apache2 source package version 2.2.22 11" ;
doap:revision "2.2.22 11" ;
# this release contains two components
admssw:includedAsset <apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11_debian>, <apache2/apache2_2.2.22_orig>
;
# this release can be downloaded as one package (with dget)
admssw:package <apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11.dsc> ;
# it also has a related release somewhere else
dcterms:relation <https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apache2/2.2.22 6ubuntu2> .
<apache2_2.4.2 2>
a admssw:SoftwareRelease ;
rdfs:label "apache2 2.4.2 2" ;
dcterms:description "Debian apache2 source package version 2.4.2 2" ; admssw:project <apache2> ;
doap:revision "2.4.2 2" . # Then the .dsc file for the current unstable version
<apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11.dsc>
a admssw:SoftwarePackage ;
dcterms:description "Debian source package descriptor file for apache2 version 2.2.22 11";
schema:downloadUrl "http://cdn.debian.net/debian/pool/main/a/apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11.dsc";
schema:fileSize "2885" ;
spdx:checksum [
a spdx:Checksum ;
spdx:algorithm <apache2#checksumAlgorithm_md5sum> ;
spdx:checksumValue "d7d03719b9f6432beeecd3aa04f7b22c"
] . #
# Then the upstream project
#
<apache2/apache2_orig>
a admssw:SoftwareProject ;
doap:description "The apache2 upstream project" ;
# either its name or homepage can be matched against other ADMS.SW
# or DOAP descriptors
doap:name "apache2" ;
doap:homepage "http://httpd.apache.org/" . # And a upstream release 2.2.22
<apache2/apache2_2.2.22_orig>
a admssw:SoftwareRelease ;
rdfs:label "Upstream apache2 release 2.2.22" ;
dcterms:description "Upstream source release for apache2 version 2.2.22" ;
doap:revision "2.2.22" ;
admssw:project <apache2/apache2_orig> ;
# and a link to the upstream source tarball s description
admssw:package <apache2/apache2_2.2.22.orig.tar.gz> . # now the (potentially re archived) upstream source archive for that release
<apache2/apache2_2.2.22.orig.tar.gz>
a admssw:SoftwarePackage ;
dcterms:description "Upstream source archive for apache2 version 2.2.22 11 (potentially re archived by Debian)";
schema:downloadUrl "http://cdn.debian.net/debian/pool/main/a/apache2/apache2_2.2.22.orig.tar.gz";
# Those 2 bits should help match packagings of the same tarball if needed
schema:fileSize "7200529" ;
spdx:checksum [
a spdx:Checksum ;
spdx:algorithm <apache2#checksumAlgorithm_md5sum> ;
spdx:checksumValue "d77fa5af23df96a8af68ea8114fa6ce1"
] . #
# Now, document specific details of the second component : Debian
# packaging files archive
#
<apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11_debian>
a admssw:SoftwareRelease ;
rdfs:label "Package sources apache2_2.2.22 11" ;
dcterms:description "Debian packaging sources for apache2 version 2.2.22 11" ;
doap:revision "2.2.22 11" ;
admssw:package <apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11.debian.tar.gz> . <apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11.debian.tar.gz>
a admssw:SoftwarePackage ;
dcterms:description "Debian source package files archive for apache2 version 2.2.22 11" ;
schema:downloadUrl "http://cdn.debian.net/debian/pool/main/a/apache2/apache2_2.2.22 11.debian.tar.gz";
schema:fileSize "195980" ;
spdx:checksum [
a spdx:Checksum ;
spdx:algorithm <apache2#checksumAlgorithm_md5sum> ;
spdx:checksumValue "d3d4146ccad51129636b7dbff284a110"
] . #
# Now, we also weave links with the Ubuntu counterparts
#
<https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apache2>
a admssw:SoftwareProject ;
doap:description "\"apache2\" source package in Ubuntu" ;
# this one promises some trolls and flames
admssw:forkOf <apache2> ;
doap:homepage "https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apache2" ;
doap:release <https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apache2/2.2.22 6ubuntu2> . # and its release known by the PTS
<https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apache2/2.2.22 6ubuntu2>
a admssw:SoftwareRelease ;
rdfs:label "apache2 2.2.22 6ubuntu2" ;
dcterms:description "\"apache2\" 2.2.22 6ubuntu2 source package in Ubuntu" ;
doap:revision "2.2.22 6ubuntu2" ;
admssw:project <https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apache2> .

Maybe this could be of interest to a few of my readers who may have missed the announcement, in particular for ones related to forges which will be deployed for private administrations in Europe. The recently stared ADMS.F/OSS project is described as :

ADMS.F/OSS is an XML and RDF vocabulary to describe software, in
particular free and open-source software (F/OSS), making it possible to
more easily search and discover software. The ADMS.F/OSS specification is still under development.

It is developped in the frame of an EC (European Community) programme for interoperability between public administrations (more on the page above). I ll try and participate to the working group, bringing in some feedback from the efforts on similar issues conducted during the (now over) COCLICO project. Hope this helps.

See previous post for the rationale. I ve then started migrating my mail using evolution. First I ve installed dovecot and set it up so as to store my mail inside my $HOME/Maildir/ dir. Evolution will run dovecot on demand through a pipe, instead of through network access like with regular remote IMAP servers. So dovecot won t be started as a daemon. I ve been inspired by Roland s setup for this (even though I not using offlineimap). Inside Evolution, I ve configured a second mail profile, for this local IMAP server, using the custom command to connect to server :
"MAIL=maildir:$HOME/Maildir /usr/lib/dovecot/imap" I ve migrated my existing mail folders using copy to function on all top-level mail folders from the local evolution storage, to copy them to the IMAP folders. Note that some folders that include a dot ( . ) need to be renamed, as the dot is a path separator for IMAP. I ve adapted Evolution s vfolders definitions so as to take into account the active remote folders instead of the local ones, and that s it, the mail is migrated. I m using fetchmail + procmail to fetch mail from remote servers and to deliver it to the Maildirs, using dovecot s deliver program, with something like : DELIVER="/usr/lib/dovecot/deliver" :0: w
$DELIVER I ve migrated the filters of evolution to server-side Sieve rules so that dovecot s deliver sorts incoming mail in the right Maildirs. The dovecot config needs to be adapted to activate the sieve plugin (dovecot-sieve Debian package), in /etc/dovecot/conf.d/15-lda.conf : protocol lda
# Space separated list of plugins to load (default is global mail_plugins).
mail_plugins = $mail_plugins sieve
log_path = /tmp/dovecot-deliver-errors.log
info_log_path = /tmp/dovecot-deliver.log

The original Evolution filters rules were stored in $HOME/.config/evolution/mail/filters.xml, so I wrote a quick python DOM parsing tool to extract the (long) list of definitions and generate Sieve rules for the $HOME/.dovecot.sieve config file (in which folder hierarchy uses a . path separator instead of a / ). The sieve-test program can be used to check is sieve rules function as you want. Now this is all setup, I only need to configure notmuch to index all the Maildirs. But this is left to another post.

I ve been fed up with Evolution being so buggy and slow, which was making managing my mail ever more painful as time passes. Still, one of the advantages of Evolution over other MUAs is the vfolders feature, which I ve been using intensively for years. Would there be some alternate way of managing my mail ? I ve been reading about notmuch s progress in becoming a very powerful mail management / retrieval tool (it could very well replace the vfolder feature of Evolution), but unfortunately, it is not (yet) integrated with Evolution. Others have documented their mail setup, and it seems that I could achieve a middle ground solution by migrating all my mail folders, currently stored inside Evolution s local storage, into Maildir folders managed by a local dovecot IMAP server. Evolution would still be my MUA, but it would store my mail inside Maildirs through dovecot. I ve been told that Evolution may be less buggy with IMAP than with local folders, which could solve my main annoyances. Also, it would make it possible to index mail with notmuch, as it supports the Maildir storage format. I ve then decided to take the opportunity of a holiday period to start the migration attempt. I ll document it in another post.

I ve gotten fed up with Evolution s bugs and slowness. Even though I experience less problems than some weeks ago since I ve applied a patch related to locks in e-d-s, Evolution has now become really too slow and given that my mail flow is not really diminishing, I ve come to the point when I think about migrating. I ve been a user of Gnus for years also (at home, with much satisfaction, as it runs fine inside a GNU Screen), so I could switch to it with moderate damage. Also, as I m using org-mode, it would be quite complementary of course, staying more in Emacs One nice (and even priceless) feature of Evolution is the vfolders, that allow me to manage the tons of emails in different contexts, wherever that may be located. AFAIK, Gnus doesn t offer any comparable feature. But it seems that the most interesting way to have it is to integrate Gnus with NotMuch. Fortunately, my colleague Roland has written a nice howto explaining (among other details of his mail system setup) how to integrate these together. Now, if I m able to setup a similar NotMuch + Gnus setup for newly received mail, I m left with migrating all my piles of old mail, currently stored in Evolution. It seems that one possible way to do so is through copying Evolution mail folders into a newly setup local IMAP server s Maildir storage. The copy is supposed to preserve some flags like the read/unread status of the important flag. From the first tests I ve made, it s possible to install a local Dovecot IMAPd server, configure it so that the mail is stored in the user s ~/Maildir/ maildir directory, which can then be recognized by Evolution as a target for copying mail. It seems that nomuch can then be configured so that it doesn t flag all new mails as unread, and understangs the imap server flags accordingly (unread, important, and such). Needless to say, I m glad all these useful programs are packaged in Debian I need to make further tests and also test Gnus + Notmuch integration, but having a possible solution to migrate my existing mail looks like a relief. I d be curious to read your alternative ideas for such a migration. Stay tuned for next iterations.

Unfortunately, GLabels is currently unmaintained. Still, it's a very convenient tool, IMHO to print DIY business cards. Here's my glabels business card file, for those interested to borrow and reuse it.

Well hello there. A couple of days ago my debian.org account was created, meaning that I'm one1 of the crop of current new Debian Developers. Actually the news was broken to me by Rhonda when I attached to irssi after arriving at work, a nice surprise

<Rhonda> All congratulate Laney on becoming a Debian Developer.  ;)
* Rhonda . o O ( http://db.debian.org/search.cgi?dosearch=1&uid=laney )
<Laney> Rhonda: I did?!?!?!

I'll quickly introduce myself by paraphrasing from the background section of the AM report before letting you go about your business. I apparently submitted my first thrilling patch to the alsa-tools package in Ubuntu on February 2nd, 2008. This was sponsored into Hardy by Daniel Chen. Thereafter followed a myriad of exciting patches to various packages that somehow managed to convince a bunch of people that I had enough skill to become an Ubuntu developer. Fast forward a while and I get sucked into the world of Debian packaging by the CLI/Mono strike force of Mirco Bauer and Jo Shields by way of the Mono 2.0 transition. This was where I got my first Debian upload, and it was in this team that I fully realised both the excellence and importance of Debian in the FOSS world2. At some point the Debian Haskell Group formed and I've been involved to some extent there all along too. What I've mainly learned from these two groups is that team maintenance is a really great way to look after a bunch of related packages. When I see people touting new packages about, I often recommend that they look at the list of teams to find a nice home. Perhaps one or two actually did. Thanks to everyone who's supported me so far. I hope to be able to do the same for others in the future.

As of today, I'm now obergix@debian.org. I've been a Debian contributor (more recently as Debian Maintainer) for quite a while, and after a few months of procedures, I've now been accepted as a registered Debian Developer, i.e. a Debian project's member. Thanks for all the good folks that have helped me doing so, by advocating, reviewing my application, or just inspiring me Now, that's not an achievement, just a start, and I hope I'll be able to help improve Debian a bit.