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Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2017 09:39:34 +0100 (CET)
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From: gedau AT igor2 DOT repo DOT hu
Subject: Re: [geda-user] [pcb-rnd] in Debian testing - why no emphasis on
 fork
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On Sat, 7 Jan 2017, Britton Kerin (britton DOT kerin AT gmail DOT com) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote:

> On Fri, Jan 6, 2017 at 11:32 PM,  <gedau AT igor2 DOT repo DOT hu> wrote:
>> Hello Sergey,
>>
>> On Sat, 7 Jan 2017, Sergey Alyoshin (alyoshin DOT s AT gmail DOT com) [via
>> geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote:
>>
>>> Hello Igor,
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jan 7, 2017 at 6:31 AM,  <gedau AT igor2 DOT repo DOT hu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> pcb-rnd 1.1.4 succesfully migrated to Debian testing (a.k.a. Stretch)
>>>> recently. This means Debian users with anything more recent than current
>>>> standle (Jessie) should be able to install pcb-rnd from the official
>>>> repo.
>>>
>>>
>>> Description of pcb-rnd package does not mention relationship with pcb
>>> package, is it intentional?
>>
>>
>> pcb-rnd has added a great amount of complex, large features last year. We
>> also started to have our own file format. We are compatible with pcb, but we
>> are also compatible with kicad - there's no conceptual difference in how we
>> load/save a .pcb file or .kicad_pcb file. The relation of pcb-rnd to pcb is
>> going to be more and more similar to the relation between pcb-rnd and kicad
>> or other packages. From an user's perspective this means pcb-rnd is not a
>> geda/PCB with slightly different config and 2..3 minor improvements (like it
>> was in 2013), but it's more of a totally different layout package.
>
> Sure, but out of courtesy - the same sort of courtesy the people who
> run this list have extended to you in allowing you to use it as you
> have - you should still mention pcb.  It's also more honest to users.
> The fact that a piece of software has recently experienced a
> significant fork is an important, both of the fact that there's still
> interest, and of the nature and state of the community.  Any new pcb
> release should likewise mention pcb-rnd.

I generally agree. I still regard pcb-rnd as an unofficial part of the 
gEDA family, partly because of the common history, partly because of the 
workflows supported. Reference to pcb is still in a prominent place on 
pcb-rnd's main page so I believe I did everything I could on this.

The Debian description is written and maintained by Dima Kogan. I think 
he recently contributed to pcb's packaging too, so he is in the best 
position to make cross references, if he thinks it should be done. I am 
forwarding your concerns to him.

My personal opinion is that different material need different level of 
details. For a Debian package description, as an user, I'm less interested 
in the project history. Descriptions would get long and boring for old 
projects and it'd be harder to use it to find software of interest with 
a quick search.

The current state of mainline on this: pcb's main page doesn't mention any 
of the forks or the predecessor (trivia: it was called "router"). Brief 
references to the early 90s can be found in the first paragraph of the 
history section of the manual, then some more details on mid/late 90s 
versions. This part looks good, I don't think the reader of a manual wants 
to know much more. However, I think "pcb 3.0" (a.k.a. the tcl/tk fork) is 
never mentioned; pcb-rnd neither. Pcb-rnd is mentioned once, on one of the 
wiki pages.

Maybe the history section of the manual and/or the 'Links' page could be 
extended if you think cross-referencing is important.

Regards,

Igor2