new magpie command: fixspec

i just released magpie 1.110390, which brings a new subcommand: magpie fixspec

as you can guess, this command will try to sanitize a rpm spec file a bit. to use it, you must be in a package checkout, and run it without any argument.

$ eval $( magpie co perl-Foo-Bar )
$ magpie fixspec -v

# to see the list of options
$ magpie help fix

among the things that fixspec does:

• it updates %doc depending on the existing files, including meta files
• it splits multiple bundled build-/requires to have only one per line
• it lines up vertically the summary / etc
• it extracts perl buildrequires from meta.json/meta.yml if present
• it removes buildroot definition
• it removes mdv macros

note that the code is not really clean, it might gain from being in its
own module, with real rpm parsing instead of big regexes. also, it
assumes that we're cleaning a perl module spec file, so you're on your
own if you're using it on other spec file: it might remove the whole
svn, eat your babies, or even convert your rpm database to rpm5. you've
been warned. :-)

new dist::zilla command: pot

i just released dist::zilla::app::command::pot, providing dist::zilla with a new pot command (not the plant, you hippy!).

this command allows to (re-)generate a messages.pot file holding all strings to be translated from your module. If a messages.pot file is found, it will update it. otherwise, you will be prompted for a file location, with a default matching Locale::TextDomain settings:

$dzil pot
[...]
[DZ] Trying to find a messages.pot file...
[DZ] No messages.pot found - enter your own.
messages.pot to use [lib/LocaleData/Foo-Bar-messages.pot]:
[DZ] Running xgettext...

yup, underneath it just runs xgettext. and currently, it only finds calls to T() - but i'll add an option to provide your own convention such as _(), gettext(), etc.

magpie - MAGeia Perl Integration Easy

in my mandriva to mageia switch, i promised to myself that i'd collect the various scripts that i'm using on a day to day basis to maintain the myriad of perl rpm packages.

therefore, i've created magpie (MAGeia Perl Integration Easy) and uploaded it to cpan. the tool is not yet complete, but i'm incorporating new commands now and then.

it currently supports 2 commands:

• magpie bswait - this command pauses according to the recommendation of mageia build-system. it indeed provides some recommendation on how much time to pause between 2 packages submission to not overload it - (this is known as throttling).
• magpie co - this brand new command (in version 1.110320) allows to check-out a given package from mageia repository.

some details about magpie checkout: it is not meant to replace "mgarepo co", it does in fact use mgarepo underneath. so what does this command add?

• the possibility to check out in a given directory
  

  $ magpie co -d ~/rpm/cauldron perl

• the fact that it will either check out *or* update the local check-out if it already exists:
  

  $ magpie co -d ~/rpm/cauldron perl
  # check-out if 1st run, update otherwise

• finally, the possibility to dump a shell command to execute to change directory in the fresh check-out:
  

  # add this in your ~/.bashrc
  function cco() { eval $(magpie co -d ~/rpm/cauldron -q -s $*); }
  # then, one can do a fresh checkout/update + cd by issuing:
  $ cco perl

nothing revolutionary, but it saves some keystrokes here and there.

mageia warming up - rebuilding perl packages

it's been a long time without posting - but real life kicked in.

one of the things that keep me busy those days is the rebuilding of perl packages for mageia. around 2000 have been done, with ~400 still waiting. it's been a good opportunity to clean up the mess: remove old packages, clean spec files, etc.

all in all, mageia will be quite in a good shape regarding perl packages when mirroring will start - which should happen quite soon!

good-bye mandriva, hello mageia!

word is spreading fast: mandriva developers & contributors are forking mandriva. the new distribution is named mageia - read the full announce on http://mageia.org. my name being on the announce, no need to say that i fully support this move... :-) more news will be available in the coming days.

supply your own perlcriticrc to dzil test plugin

if you wanted the ability to supply your own perlcriticrc while using dist-zilla-plugin-critictests, then stephen scaffidi is your hero of the day. indeed, he just implemented this - and i had to do the tedious work of typing "dzil release". oh well, i can say that life is difficult. :-)

perl's state in mandriva cooker

some time after mandriva 2010.1 has been released, i'm now pleased to report that perl has been updated to 5.12.1, all cpan modules are up-to-date (including padre 0.68) or bugs have been reported upstream... and parrot 2.6.0 is currently building.

the perl 5.12.0 - 5.12.1 upgrade was really smooth: no patch to rediff, reapply, etc. that's definitely a good thing for perl maintainers to have a stable series with only critical fixes going in. i've already said it, but thanks again to p5p!