Ecosystem content, quality and fragmentation issues.

[AlexDaniel]

Currently the ecosystem is very messy. To name some problems:

• Some modules simply do not work (a list with some false positives here: https://github.com/perl6/ecosystem-unbitrot/issues)
• Some modules are listed multiple times for no good reason (example)
• There are different modules with the same name (example: https://modules.perl6.org/search/?q=zeromq)
• And more, like modules with a lot of NYI stuff, or no tests, or simply abandoned repos

IRC discussion: https://colabti.org/irclogger/irclogger_log/perl6?date=2019-06-14#l399

I don't know what would be the best solution. There are different ideas floating around, like creating a new ecosystem with a better policy, or trying to clean the current one by adding some sort of purgatory for modules. I think we'd benefit from having a person who'd be able to focus on the ecosystem stuff and come up with some solution.

[AlexDaniel]

There's currently no label for ecosystem related stuff. I'd happily create one once someone applies to become a responsible dev (similarly to how it was done in #23).

[JJ]

More things:

• Modules in CPAN are not tested (except by Blin)
• There are 17 issues in ecosystem, some of them included here. No one is paying (much) attention to it, anyway.
• There's no way to solve name disputes
• Test modules are kept there forever

Also, I refused to merge the several versions of DDt you mention and I was burned. Anyway, the next squashathon is going to be devoted to the ecosystem (actually, modules.perl6.org, but this could e included if necessary)

[JJ]

(I also apply for this position, if you want to take me)

[JJ]

(BTW, I think now that these "duplicate" modules should actually be there, because they are different releases of the same module).

[nxadm]

Closed by accident.

[JJ]

Maybe it's about time to revive this issue. Most problems here are still outstanding. For starters, I would propose a simple thing: eliminate CPAN from the ecosystem. Main reason is that anything uploaded there is not tested in any way or form, not even conformation to the META6.json de facto standard. Apparently, it's impossible now to get new PAUSE nicks, or at least extremely complicated (and not clear). Plus it's simply not under our control, and there's no way to add any kind of functionality we might need (like, let's say, change the "perl6" directory to Raku). We got fez now, I would propose a 1-year schedule to deprecate CPAN for Raku modules.

[codesections]

We got fez now, I would propose a 1-year schedule to deprecate CPAN for Raku modules.

If we're able to announce the deprecation soon enough, we might even be able to fully deprecate it in 6e – removing support for a chunk of the ecosystem seems like something that's big enough to go on a version boundary.

[lizmat]

Closing in light of developments, see #316