[forwarded to ib-support on author's request]

----- Forwarded message from Grzegorz Prokopski <greg@...> -----

To: Firebird Devel <firebird-devel@...>
Subject: [Firebird-devel] FireBird Debian packages finally IN the distro [announce]
Date: 21 May 2002 20:18:38 +0200

Hello!

After months of waiting in queue/new directory (for reasons that
probably will stay unknown forever) Debian packages of firebird
were finally accepted and went into the Debian archive.

NO FIREBIRD IN DEBIAN WOODY (NOT MY FAULT)

As Woody is in freeze since 30.IV - firebird won't be available
in soon-to-be-released Debian Woody (the cause is mentioned above).
However - 1.0.0-10 version of the package should be easily usable with
Woody. In the future I may setup a small repository for firebird
compiled for Woody if there's anybody interested in it.
Contact me in case you were interested.

WHAT PACKAGES ARE THERE

There are 11 binary packages created from the source. They are:

firebird-c32-server_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - Classic server w/ 32bit I/O
firebird-c64-server_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - Classic server w/ 64bit I/O
firebird-s32-server_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - Super server w/ 32bit I/O
firebird-s64-server_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - Super server w/ 64bit I/O
firebird-utils_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - utilities/tools for FB

libfirebird32_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - Server library for 32bit I/O
libfirebird64_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - Server library for 64bit I/O
firebird-server-common_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - common parts of FB
firebird-dev_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - development (headers and depend:libfb)
firebird-doc_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - docs - currently empty (no free docs!)
firebird-examples_1.0.0-10_i386.deb - examples (in case anyone needs it)

ATM they're all available from unstable Debian distribution.

TESTING AND KNOWN PROBLEMS

The packages were tested by several people (special thanks to Damyan
Ivanov for ideas and support). There are no known packaging problems,
however there are problems with firebird itself, that probably should
be filled as bugs (if they aren't already)
*) FB doesn't work on non-i386 Linux arches (I mean those 11 that are
supported by Debian) (already reported - 6 hours after FB
packages were accepted into Debian archive)
*) 64bit I/O has problems (Damyan, please fill bugs with good
description if You have a free moment to do it)

The 1.0.0-3 FB packages were tested against FB test suite.
There were no source changes since then (besides package split).

Please test the packages and REPORT PROBLEMS to debbugs.

FURTHER WORK

I of course will continue my work on those packages, however I find
them mostly done. With cooperation of Damyan Ivanov I hope to have
free manual pages in not-so-far future (thaks Damyan).
If anyone has ideas how to package (from legal point of view) other
(even non-free) documentation that applies to FireBird - I'd be glad
to hear advices. Any ideas and suggestions are welocome.
Contribution - even more.

I hope those packages will bring FireBird - this great example of
Free Software (in DFSG compatible meaning) to even more computers and
their users.

Best regards

Grzegorz Prokopski
Debian Developer

PS: Please install "apt-get install popularity-contest" so that I knew
that these packages are working for you! (it's anonymous anyway)
PSS: Damyan, please make sure that this message got to IB-Support group,
as I am not subscribed (AFAIR you are). If not - please resend it.



----- End forwarded message -----

--
Damyan Ivanov