Package for Debian?

[petterreinholdtsen]

Hi. I consider packaging uflash and uploading it into Debian. This might be easier with your help. Are you interested in helping out to make this happen?

[petterreinholdtsen]

The request for a Debian package is tracked in https://bugs.debian.org/906450 .

[knowledgejunkie]

The presence of the included firmware file is triggering some thoughts regarding how uflash/Mu can be packaged for Debian, in terms of

• where the packages can sit in the Debian archive (main vs non-free)
• how much modification the source might need in order to be included in main
• how visible the packages would be if uploaded to non-free
• whether it is possible to remove the requirement to include the firmware (see Possible to pull MicroPython runtime from device, update, and then flash? #54)
• whether we could add uflash as a dependency (Suggests) if uflash were packaged in non-free and a firmware-less Mu was packaged in main

[petterreinholdtsen]

Is the source of the firmware blob available as free software, and can it be built using only free software? If so, perhaps it is best to make a separeate package of its source and make a new binary package with the firmware hex file. It can then be used as a dependency of both uflash and mu, and all three can go into main.

[knowledgejunkie]

@petterreinholdtsen please track #54 which will hopefully answer questions arising about the MicroPython runtime

[knowledgejunkie]

Update: earlier this week I pushed my packaging of uflash to the Debian Python Modules repository for review.

[ntoll]

@knowledgejunkie stonking stuff. Thank you so much for your efforts with this. 👍

[petterreinholdtsen]

[Nicholas Tollervey]

@knowledgejunkie stonking stuff. Thank you so much for your efforts with this. 👍

Hear, hear! This was a great Christmas present. :) I eagerly await the day where we can program Micro:Bit with the tools included in Debian, also on a deserted island. :)

…

-- Happy hacking Petter Reinholdtsen

[knowledgejunkie]

My packaging of uflash has been reviewed and uploaded to the Debian NEW queue. This package currently provides a helper package that will download the current firmware.hex at installation time.

I'm now finalising my packaging of MicroPython for the micro:bit which will provide a firmware.hex built completely from source.

[knowledgejunkie]

My python-uflash source package was ACCEPTED into Debian unstable yesterday, so I'm happy for this ticket to be closed. The package will migrate into Debian testing in due course.

My separate packaging of MicroPython for the micro:bit is currently being reviewed.