package libdatetime-astro-sunrise-perl based on an obsolete (and buggy) Perl module

[Jean Forget]

Happy new year to all those who develop Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, Perl and CPAN !

I am Jean Forget, a Perl hobbyist, JFORGET on cpan dot org. Since
2013, I am co-maintainer of Astro::Sunrise and DateTime::Event::Sunrise.
http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.datetime/2013/07/msg7934.html

When checking packages I could install on my xubuntu 16.04 PC, I
noticed with mixed feelings two Perl packages dealing with sunrises.

On one hand, I am honored that you built a package providing
DateTime::Event::Sunrise. Thank you.

On the other hand, I was surprised, even a little annoyed, that you
built a libdatetime-astro-sunrise-perl package with
DateTime::Astro::Sunrise, an obsolete and buggy Perl module. Here is
the history of sunrise Perl modules before I stepped in.

2000 Ron Hill publishes the first release of Astro::Sunrise

2003-01-10 the Perl DateTime project begins
http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.datetime/2003/01/msg388.html

2003-03-19 to 2003-03-24 discussion on the DateTime mailing-list about
the proper naming of a DateTime module to compute sunrises and
sunsets. The community prefers DateTime::Event::Sunrise to
DateTime::Astro::Sunrise or DateTime::Set::Sunrise.
http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.datetime/2003/03/msg1243.html

2003-03-20 Before the discussion is closed, Ron Hill publishes a proof
of concept DateTime::Astro::Sunrise: same algorithm as Astro::Sunrise,
overhauled internals and API to integrate with other DateTime modules.
http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.datetime/2003/03/msg1253.html

2003-03-24 After the discussion, Ron Hill releases DateTime::Event::Sunrise,
which is no more than DateTime::Astro::Sunrise renamed.
http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.datetime/2003/03/msg1389.html

Unknown date, I guess around 2006 The last time Ron Hill posts a
message on the Perl DateTime mailing-list.

Unknown date DateTime::Astro::Sunrise is removed from CPAN's index.

So you have created a package from a module which was just a proof of
concept and which had an active life of just 4 days before becoming
obsolete. And this module is buggy. Just take a look at the resolved bugs
for DateTime::Event::Sunrise and Astro::Sunrise. Some of them, especially
the 21st-March bug, most certainly apply to DateTime::Astro::Sunrise.
https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Status=Resolved;Name=DateTime-Event-Sunrise
https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Status=Resolved;Name=Astro-Sunrise

I will continue to take care of DateTime::Event::Sunrise, but I have
no intention of fixing bugs in a module with a wrong name. So can you
please remove libdatetime-astro-sunrise-perl from Ubuntu's list of
packages? Thank you in advance.

[gregor herrmann (gregoa)]

Ubuntu just imports the package from Debian, I guess we have to remove it there.

There's already an old bug report at https://bugs.debian.org/bug=645828
I'll add a pointer to this issue there.

Cheers.
gregor, Debian Perl Group