[Slackbuilds-users] Unmaintained builds - want any of these?

Fri Jan 3 00:24:30 UTC 2020

On 1/2/20 12:41 AM, Robby Workman wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> TL;DR version: if you would like to see any of the scripts on the
> following list stay around, please step up to maintain them.
>
> https://slackbuilds.org/DeadSBoBuilds
>
> Reply with which script you want, how you want to be listed in
> the .info file, and what email address you want listed there.
>
> Longer version: we're coming to terms with the fact that we
> simply don't have the personnel or the time to maintain all of
> the scripts here ourselves, so we (translation: B. Watson) ran
> through a got some lists of stuff that hasn't had any recent
> commits by their listed maintainers. The list posted above is
> NOT all of them - it's only the first batch (we're trying to keep
> this in bite-sized chunks). We don't have a specific timeline
> in mind at this point, but I'm thinking that any of these not
> claimed within a month or so will be removed from the repo.
>
> As always, thanks to our community for your support over the
> years!
>
> -RW

     Sadly lots of good builds on there, including some I depend on 
(beep,dictd,nut,xinput_calibrator,maybe:barrier,gksu,sshpass,tunctl.) I 
also don't want to see fbpic,mtpaint or any mathematical, some/most/all 
graphics SlackBuilds die... and there's probably more 
general/system/network than I can imagine that would be bad if disappeared.
     However, since last year (needing proprietary 
display/video/graphics/GPU-compute drivers) I had to switch to something 
bad for my main desktop, and am only using Slackware on servers and 
secondary PCs like laptops... so I don't want to jump into taking over 
any packages as it'd be harder for me to test. However if some of the 
above aren't taken over by the time limit (or if Slackware stable can't 
easily run OpenCL for AMD Radeon RX Vega yet) I'd like a chance to take 
on some.
     I thought a lot of people using classic/desktop PCs and/or servers 
would depend both on beep (for PC speaker) and nut (Network UPS 
Tools)... those are probably the two most important builds on that list, 
but there are others.  If anyone has a touchscreen, like newer-style 
monitor or Wacom Cintiq drawing pad/LCD, you may need 
xinput_calibrator.  I've heard Barrier is good because it lets you use a 
keyboard & mouse across more than one PC (software KVM switch over a 
network.)  Sometimes, though it's bad to run X as root, you might need 
to run something as root within X but can't setup in X/KDE menu to run 
from terminal for some reason, and that's what programs like gksu help 
with, though I forgot if I actually need it anymore or if it (or 
alternatives) worked.  SSHPass came in handy in the past when I was 
forced to enter a password with a remote shell and wanted to automate 
that... but I managed to fix my SSH key so don't need SSHPass now... can 
come in handy though, and definitely would if you need to use a shell 
but they force passwords (some force both password and key!)  In the 
past I've set my desktop's extra ethernet port to provide Internet 
connection to my laptop, might used tunctl for that (or learned how, 
among various methods, don't know what's best.)  I love fbpic (displays 
images on framebuffer) and any good alternative paint program like 
mtpaint (to be able to do things like both classic MS Paint and Adobe 
Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, you need several graphics/paint programs on 
Slackware.)  I was just commenting on why I feel some of these builds 
are major, and why others might consider taking some on if they 
primarily use Slackware on a desktop or hardware server and think any 
are useful, and could test easily.
     I don't really want to take on any network SlackBuilds, but if NUT 
isn't taken over (come on, isn't even some Slackware site server running 
on NUT... shouldn't it even be added to Slackware as known as a 
distribution excellent for servers, usually on an automated UPS?!) then 
I might have to... just don't know enough about networking.  I also feel 
cautious about taking on any system builds (usually complicated) but I 
consider beep more of a super-simple system/audio one (but I also feel 
it should be added to Slackware.)
     As of me almost finishing this, I see gksu is no longer in the list 
(maybe some others also?) so I thank whoever is taking that/those over!
     Sadly a friend of mine (has one or more builds on the list,) the 
guy who got me interested in IBM-compatible PCs, and programming, in the 
1990s, may no longer be a maintainer... probably the most experienced 
CS/IT guy I know, but now he's stopped almost all that except for work 
and moved to focusing on personal development, social issues, or related 
things.  One or more of his builds is POSIX-standard so even though I 
haven't needed it (guess I won't unless I become a professional 
sysadmin) I'm sad to see that go...
     As for mathematics ones, I or others should probably consider 
case-by-case basis, but even maybe comparing/contrasting any to the 
around 100+ mathematics programs listed in FSF's Free Software directory 
(directory.fsf.org <http://directory.fsf.org>.) One must ask, is it 
worth continuing mathematics software that hasn't had a sourcecode 
update in almost 10 years that's on SBo, or finding something newer from 
FSF's directory.  I'm an amateur mathematician so I install it all just 
because it's there, but I don't actually use much of it yet.  So if 
anyone uses it more, they should consider taking it over... also check 
out that directory (if you're trying to find good Free/Libre/Opensource 
Software, FLOSS, not just maths, that needs a SlackBuild.)

--David
DavidChmelik.com <http://DavidChmelik.com> (currently down)
mirror.DavidChmelik.com <http://mirror.DavidChmelik.com> (updated first, 
most uptime)

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