Consolidate support for packaging XLibre by our community

[callmetango]

There is some effort to create packages of XLibre for some Linux and *BSD-Distributions as seen here and elsewhere:

• Dealing with distributions · X11Libre · Discussion #89
• Distro with X11Libre and Xenocara vs X11Libre · X11Libre · Discussion #2
• Please, a little help installing on Arch / Nvidia / XFCE ?? Basic questions on installing / configuring... · X11Libre · Discussion #86
• Porting X11Libre to FreeBSD · X11Libre · Discussion #91
• [Questinon] What do you plan for the XLibre Upgrade and Deployment Cycle? · X11Libre · Discussion #96
• RPM packaging support · Issue #254 · X11Libre/xserver
• Fix PKGBUILD bug for Garuda Linux, CachyOS, and other variants so we can show up in pacman for install · Issue #241 · X11Libre/xserver
• ppa for Ubuntu/Linux Mint? · Issue #228 · X11Libre/xserver
• Providing packages for major distros · Issue #128 · X11Libre/xserver
• ...

On the one hand this is not primarily the focus of the XLibre Xserver development project but on the other hand highly appreciated. To further support contributors willing to create packages and our wish to support them as much as possible, I suggest the following:

• Create a separate category in the X11Libre · Discussions · GitHub called "Packaging for Distribution"
• Move all discussions related to packaging to this new category
• Move all issues reported in https://github.com/X11Libre/xserver/issues to this new category with a note of our appreciation
• Create a pinned post in this category with our appreciation and hints how we are willing and able to help (by e.g. providing ports-... repositories here on Github)
• Link to Are We XLibre Yet? · X11Libre/xserver Wiki in the pinned post.
• Add a call to action item regarding creating packages in the to be updated README.md

If need be we could create subcategories per distribution etc. later.

@metux @probonopd What do you think?

[metux]

sounds good.

[probonopd]

Indeed!

[callmetango]

Ok, I'll go for it.

[callmetango]

Consolidate support for packaging XLibre by our community · Issue #318 · X11Libre/xserver

[callmetango]

I'm going to create the new section as described above and been thinking about separate per distribution "flavoured" categories for the already existing third-party repositories for Arch, Fedora, FreeBSD, Gentoo and RHEL10. The idea is to give guidance and user-to-user support for those using these distributions and seeking for help.

[callmetango]

@artist4artix What do you think about the above mentioned Arch category? Was this needed or is there already a place to discuss things related to https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/xlibre-server-common? Was there a need for creating a Artix category too?

[callmetango]

@artist4artix What do you think? Anything to add or change?

@artist4xlibre Ping... 😉

[artist4xlibre]

@artist4artix What do you think? Anything to add or change?

@artist4xlibre Ping... 😉

Looks fine with me, thx @callmetango!
FYI: as you can see I've renamed my github account as it's primarily for Xlibre.

[callmetango]

Thank you! I already published the draft at Welcome to XLibre on Arch Linux! · X11Libre · Discussion #213.

[callmetango]

@artist4xlibre
There is also another introductionary pinned post for Welcome to XLibre on Artix Linux! · X11Libre · Discussion #214.

If you like me to add or change anything then please just tell me.

[callmetango]

FYI: as you can see I've renamed my github account as it's primarily for Xlibre.

Yes! And I like it.

[callmetango]

@COD3HUNT3R What do you think about the above mentioned Fedora/RHEL10 categories? Was this needed or is there already a place to discuss things related to https://github.com/COD3HUNT3R/rpm-xlibre?

[callmetango]

@b-aaz What do you think about the above mentioned FreeBSD category? Was this needed or is there already a place to discuss things related to https://github.com/b-aaz/xlibre-ports?

[callmetango]

Ps. In your repository you are using the name “X11Libre”. I know that's nitpicky, but you may want to change that to “XLibre” 😉

[b-aaz]

Ps. In your repository you are using the name “X11Libre”. I know that's nitpicky, but you may want to change that to “XLibre” 😉

Did we chose a single name? I remember a thread on this topic, but I can't find it anymore.
XLibre is the official name then?

[callmetango]

XLibre is the official name then

Yes, it is.

[ONykyf]

Ps. In your repository you are using the name “X11Libre”. I know that's nitpicky, but you may want to change that to “XLibre” 😉

OK, although even the name of the main repository is “X11Libre” :)

[callmetango]

Yes, I know... Although even and so on.

[callmetango]

@stefan11111 What do you think about the above mentioned Gentoo category? Was this needed or are the threads at the Gentoo Forums resp. the the Gentoo Forums in general already enough?

[callmetango]

@stefan11111 What do you think? Anything to add or change?

[stefan11111]

@callmetango I'm not sure what exactly is being changed.

[callmetango]

@stefan11111 This is the draft of the introductionary to be pinned post in the to be created "XLibre on Gentoo Linux" discussions category.

[stefan11111]

@callmetango Looks good

[callmetango]

Here we go: X11Libre Xlibre On Gentoo Linux · Discussions · GitHub

[callmetango]

I'm going to create the new section as described above and been thinking about separate per distribution "flavoured" categories for the already existing third-party repositories for [...]

I think we should also create a category XLibre on Other Distributions for every distribution no explicitly covered by the ones mentioned above to have a "catch all" case and spin off new packaging initiaves or "users help the users" discussions in general.

[callmetango]

This is the draft of the introductionary to be pinned post in the to be created "XLibre on Other Disributions" discussions category:

[callmetango]

Post Title: Welcome to XLibre on Other Distributions!

We welcome anyone interested in running or packaging XLibre on/for other Linux or Unix-like distributions or operating systems.

XLibre Packages for Other Distributions

Please have a look at Are We XLibre Yet? · X11Libre/xserver Wiki to see whether your distribution of choice already provides packages for XLibre. If so, have fun installing and using XLibre! If you like it, please leave a like screenshot at the FIXME Liberated Screens discussion too.

There are no packages for XLibre in your distribution? That may be a litte unpleasant. But distributions decide on their own what to package and what not. We won‘t pressure any of them and completly understand the „wait and see“ approach. For the other ones... Well, let‘s be part of the solution and read on!

You have some options here:

1. Copy And Adjust Xorg Packages

Your distribution already has packages for the Xorg Xserver? That‘s great! Since XLibre is a fork of Xorg, you may just copy the existing source package descriptions, adjust the source URLs, remove some patches already integrated into XLibre and compile the binary packages yourself. Please see our FIXME Building XLibre wiki page and your distribution‘s documentation for how to do this.

2. Adjust Packages to Suit Your Distribution

Quite a few distributions [1] [2] are derivatives of some major ones. If there are already XLibre source package descriptions for the base distribution then they may be useable for the derivative too. You can tweak them and compile the binaries yourself. Please again see our FIXME Building XLibre wiki page and your distribution‘s documentation for how to do this.

3. Build Your Own XLibre

In case there are no ready made or adjustable packages, you can resort to building XLibre yourself. Please see the FIXME Building XLibre wiki page for how to do this.

Whatever above option you may choose: If things get out of hand, take a look at the existing discussions. Your problem may have been solved by now. 😉 If not, then please feel free to create a new discussion here in this category.

Become an XLibre Package Maintainer

You've got your packages working? Excellent! Why not create a third-party repository and share these packages with the community? There are many distribution-specific solutions like Arch User Repositories (AUR) or Personal Package Archives (PPA) for Debian and Ubuntu as well as third party repositories for Redhat-like ones and many others for other packages managers.

Take a glance at the links in the paragraph above and some existing third-party repositories maintained by our community to get an idea of how to get things going.

We Are Here to Help

The discussions here are meant to get to know each other and to provide help by the users for the users. To further support packaging we at Xlibre offer you to host the source package descriptions as we already do for X11Libre/pkgbuilds-arch-based and X11Libre/ports-gentoo. For hosting binary packages we will find a solution together too. Just create a new organizational task with what you need.

Now, please go on to the existing discussions or create a new one. You're welcome!

---

A sidenote: Please comment on this pinned discussion here only if it is necessary to add or change some aspects of it.

[callmetango]

@metux CC
@probonopd What do you think of the above draft? Anything to add or change?

[callmetango]

Oh, I forgot: The "FIXME" links will be replaced with real ones. One for the to be soon created "Liberated Screens" discussion in X11Libre Show And Tell · Discussions · GitHub and one of the to be soon created wiki page "Building XLibre".

[ONykyf]

Just FYI: https://github.com/ONykyf/X11Libre-SlackBuild

Builds (and by default upgrades) the entire X11 package tree for Slackware-current (should also work for the last stable Slackware because external dependencies are minimal).

[ONykyf]

Everything is perfect!

XLibre support in the table can be best described as SlackBuild + Sources

[callmetango]

Thank you very much! I just created the X11Libre Xlibre On Slackware Linux · Discussions · GitHub category.

[callmetango]

@ONykyf Ps. In your repository you are using the name “X11Libre”. I know that's nitpicky, but you may want to change that to “XLibre” 😉

[callmetango]

XLibre support in the table can be best described as SlackBuild + Sources

👍 I just updated Are We XLibre Yet? · X11Libre/xserver Wiki.

[ONykyf]

@ONykyf Ps. In your repository you are using the name “X11Libre”. I know that's nitpicky, but you may want to change that to “XLibre” 😉

Done in README.md

[callmetango]

As there is no feedback regarding the Fedora/RHEL category, I consider this done as by Consolidate support for packaging XLibre by our community · Issue #135 · X11Libre/misc.

I'll leave the discussion open for 3 weeks in case @COD3HUNT3R likes to add something.