Bug#1038505: mlv: Extends an obsolete version of SDL

[Simon McVittie]

Source: mlv
Tags: trixie sid wontfix
User: pkg-sdl-m...@lists.alioth.debian.org
Usertags: libsdl1.2

mlv is a convenience wrapper around SDL 1.2, which is unmaintained
upstream. It seems quite likely that mlv is unmaintained upstream as well;
there don't seem to have been any releases since 2017.

mlv seems to include SDL 1.2 objects in its API/ABI, for example in
MLV_mouse.h, so it will not be possible to convert it to SDL 2 without
breaking API/ABI. As a result, if there is a version or replacement that
targets SDL 2, it should probably be packaged separately, which is why
I'm marking this bug as "won't fix".

There does not seem to be anything in Debian that depends or build-depends
on mlv:

> smcv@coccia ~ % dak rm -R -n mlv
...
> Checking reverse dependencies...
> No dependency problem found.

and its homepage says:

> If you are not a C beginner, better use the SDL librairy (SDL, SDL_gfx,
> SDL_sound, SDL_ttf).

Is there still any benefit to Debian from having this library in the
distribution? If not, then we should probably remove it, to avoid it
taking up contributors' time during archive-wide QA (for example #1015546).

Thanks,
smcv

--
This bug report is part of a mass-bug-filing:
<https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2023/06/msg00120.html>

[Alexandre Detiste]

Hi Simon,

I think this a vanity package that should be removed right away
without wasting too much time on it.

Greetings

[Adrien Boussicault]

Hello,

It is not a "vanity" package.
It was used by lots of students and some professors of University of Marne-La-Vallée, and some other school in Paris.
(I knew it because some students - not mine, i am in Bordeaux - frequently, asked me for some help).

Few years ago, they didn't exist very simple graphic library that allow to make graphical game
in C with just few lines, as, for example :

create_windows()
draw_line(...)
wait(5)
close_windows()

And SDL was a little too complicated for beginer (student in first year).
This libray solved that probblem.

The problem is that i didn't have any time to maintain that package and to migrate that library to SDL2.
And actually, i don't know if that package is always used.

In that condition, perhaps, it is better to remove that package from the debian repository.

I am sorry that this library gave you some pain, but, few year agos, it was very helpfull for a small community.

Adrien Boussicault

----- Mail original -----
De: "Alexandre Detiste" <alexandr...@gmail.com>
À: 103...@bugs.debian.org, "Simon McVittie" <sm...@debian.org>
Envoyé: Vendredi 3 Novembre 2023 14:19:27
Objet: Bug#1038505: RM: mlv

[Alexandre Detiste]

control: clone -1 -2
control: reassign -2 ftp.debian.org
control: retitle -2 "RM src:mlv -- ROM;obsolete, unmaintained"
control: user -2 ftp.deb...@packages.debian.org
control: usertags -2 remove

Dear FTP team,

please remove mlv (binary and source) from trixie.

Greetings