RFC: Ada-Belgium barbecue and Debian packaging workshop

RFC: Ada-Belgium barbecue and Debian packaging workshop

[Dirk Craeynest]

The following message was posted recently to the Ada-Belgium members'
mailing list.  Even if you are not a member or live/work abroad, feel
free to respond and provide your views and/or preferences.

Dirk Craeynest, Ada-Belgium
Dirk.Craeynest@cs.kuleuven.be (for Ada-Belgium/-Europe/SIGAda/WG9 mail)

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From: Ludovic Brenta <ludovic@ludovic-brenta.org>
To: Ada-Belgium <ada-belgium@cs.kuleuven.be>
Subject: RFC: Ada-Belgium barbecue and Debian packaging workshop
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:14:08 +0200

Hello, World.

The Ada-Belgium Board have been discussing the next Ada-Belgium event
and we decided to propose a new format that would give attendees more
"bang for their buck" than past events based on a General Assembly and
a technical presentation.  To this end, the proposed format is more
interactive and more social.

This proposal can be thought of either as a replacement, or as a
complement to the traditional GA + presentation.  Please comment on
this, too.

Here is the proposal.  Please provide feedback before 2008-04-13 by
sending mail to ada-belgium@cs.kuleuven.be (this list is moderated).
The Board will then decide on the organisation based on your feedback.

The event would consist of:
- 12:00 welcome and getting started
  (setting up computers and preparing food)
- 13:00 barbecue
- 14:00 general assembly
- 14:45 key signing party
- 15:00 workshop on creating Debian packages of Ada software.
- 19:00 farewell

The possible dates are:
- Sunday, May 18
- Saturday, May 31
- Sunday, June 1
- Saturday, June 7
- Sunday, June 8

Some possible places include:
- Ludovic Brenta's house in Brussels (accommodates up to 5 attendees)
- Danny Beullens' house near Leuven (up to 8 attendees)
- Dirk Craeynest's house near Leuven (up to 8 attendees)
- If more people plan to attend, we will consider other places
- Of course, please feel free to suggest another place

What you should bring with you:
- Some food or beverages (to be coordinated among participants)
- Your computer, already installed with Debian unstable or with an
  unstable chroot already created (you may want to go to a GNU/Linux
  install party if you are uncomfortable installing Debian on your
  machine; see http://www.bxlug.be or your nearest GNU/Linux User
  Group)
- Network cables (or WiFi already configured)
- Monitor and keyboard, if your computer is not a laptop
- Power cables
- Some Ada software you would like to see in Debian but is not there

What Ludovic Brenta will do for you:
- Set up a local Debian mirror, so you can install or upgrade packages
  necessary for Ada package development
- Explain how to package Ada software for Debian
- Help you package your own program or library
- Answer questions about GNAT, GCC, Debian, etc.
- If your package is suitable for inclusion in Debian, sponsor it for
  you.

What you will go home with:
- Your own GPG key signed by a Debian Developer
- Your own .deb packages installed on your computer
- Better understanding of how packaging works
- Better understanding of the Debian Policy for Ada
- If your package is suitable, your name on the Debian Package
  Tracking System and your package on the next Debian DVD or CDROM
  distribution

We are open to repeating this kind of event several times this year
depending on your feedback.  If there is interest, we will try to
repeat it in the September-November time frame.

Please reply and tell us:
- Whether you are interested or not
- If not interested, what do you propose instead?
- What other place can you propose for the event?
- Do you already have an idea about the software you would like to
  package in Debian?
- What date(s) would you prefer among those proposed?
- Would you prefer to keep the traditional format, i.e. an evening
  during the week, in Brussels, with a presentation?  In which case,
  what kind of presentation do you propose or would like to hear?
- Would you attend *both* the traditional GA+presentation and the
  barbecue+workshop if they were both organised?
- Anything else you want to add?

Please send your feedback to Ada-Belgium's mailing list,
mailto:ada-belgium@cs.kuleuven.be.  The Ada-Belgium board will then
decide on the course of action based on your feedback.

-- 
Ludovic Brenta on behalf of the Ada-Belgium board.
(V20080409.1)