Request to update Greek dictionary

[Nick Demou]

We are looking into updating the Greek spellchecker files to the latest available version.

There is a newer version available since Dec2004. It is available for download at the OpenOffice.org site http://ftp.services.openoffice.org/pub/OpenOffice.org/contrib/dictionaries/el_GR.zip

It is important for Greek users of Ubuntu to have the latest version since it has substantial additions both in the dictionary and in the aff file.

We are trying to figure out which is the upstream package for this in order to get the new spellchecker files update.

[Simos Xenitellis  (simosx)]

Is there an updated myspell-dictionary-el package already in Debian?
If so, list here.

Otherwise, please contact the Greek Debian developers to update the Greek myspell spelling package.

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

> Is there an updated myspell-dictionary-el package already in Debian?
not yet

> Otherwise, please contact the Greek Debian developers
I've sent an email to Nick Niktaris

[Simos Xenitellis  (simosx)]

Is there an update to this report? Has Nick Niktaris come back to you on this?

[Thanos Lefteris (alefteris)]

Nick Niktaris told me that a new version of the debian package is on his todo list.

A newer version of the dictionary can be found at http://elspell.math.upatras.gr/ It's the same version used by the Firefox greek dictionary. Still, the new version hasn't got any new words. It was mainly a change of its license.

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

Updating the deb must be *very* easy for someone doing debian packaging frequently (besides the technicalities of debian versioning/packaging the only thing necessary is to replace 2 text files with the updated ones and write a couple of lines in the readme).
We can safely guess that Nick Niktaris is overwhelmed by other duties ("real life" is hard for every one of us). Is there any other debian packager available (I can provide detailed info about what needs be done and I can promise that the details wont be more than 50 words :-)

[Thanos Lefteris (alefteris)]

Well, the Greek Debian developers can be found here: https://db.debian.org/ (just search for Greece). There are three of them apparently. I have talked to markos and he is not in a mood right now to make a new version. I haven't talked to the other two.

I'm thinking though that what is more important that making a new package for a THREE year old dictionary is to make the upstream development of the dictionary active again. Many words are still missing and I think it would be a good idea if it could be improved by using the new hunspell features (used by OO.org and soon mozilla). I could do an new version of the deb package easily but i don't think there is a big point right now on doing that. The new version has just a new lisence and the modifications that Nick Demou made to the aff file. No new words.

I sent an email to Steve Stavropoulos, the man that seems to be the maintainer of the upstream project and asked him if he can move the project to an open-source hosting site, so that we can have version control, bug trucking and other benefits. I hope he agrees with this.

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

(note: quotied text is re-order and often striped)

Athanasios Lefteris said 4 hours ago:
> I could do an new version of the deb package easily
> but i don't think there is a big point right now on doing that.
> The new version has just a new lisence and the modifications
> that Nick Demou made to the aff file. No new words.

ooops not at all: the new version [1] has about 400.000 words more than the 167284 in the official debian el_GR.dic [2]
So if you can do a new version I think it is worth it

> the Greek Debian developers can be found here...
> I have talked to markos and he is not in a mood right
> now to make a new version. I haven't talked to the other two.

OK I can try to contact them ... let's see waht steve has to say first

> ... what is more important that making a new package for
> a THREE year old dictionary is to make the upstream
> development of the dictionary active again....
100% with you

> ...and I think it would be a good idea if it could be improved
> by using the new hunspell features (used by OO.org and soon mozilla).

hunspell surely seems promising and I do like the fact that it _is_ documented

_____________________
[1] http://elspell.math.upatras.gr/files/ooffice/el_GR.zip
[2] http://packages.debian.org/unstable/text/myspell-el-gr

I sent an email to Steve Stavropoulos, the man that seems to be the maintainer of the upstream project and asked him if he can move the project to an open-source hosting site, so that we can have version control, bug trucking and other benefits. I hope he agrees with this.

[Thanos Lefteris (alefteris)]

You are absolutely right about the number of words Nick, don't know how i missed that :(

Ouaou this is a really old version that we have at debian then. If I can't get any of the greek debian developers to do it, I'm gone try and make the package my self.

How where all those words added? It's huge! Where those words even checked for correctness at all?

Can you post here the changes that you would like to see Nick or even better post a patch against version 0.7 of the myspell dictionary?

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

> Ouaou this is a really old version that we have at debian then.
yeah it realy is :(

> If I can't get any of the greek debian developers to do it,
> I'm gone try and make the package my self.
either one would be wonderful :)

> How where all those words added? It's huge!
> Where those words even checked for correctness at all?
most if not 99% of them are correct

> Can you post here the changes that you would like to see Nick
> or even better post a patch against version 0.7 of the myspell dictionary?
well Steve Stavropoulos has all we need and nothing more here:
   http://elspell.math.upatras.gr/files/ooffice/el_GR.zip
3 text files in total:
 - the new dictionary of words (el_GR.dic)
 - the improved aff file (rules for myspell) (el_GR.aff)
 - a README including the licence (MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1)
AFAIK replace the files with the same name withing the debian package and we've got ourselves better spell checking out of the box
If there is anything else I can do to help I'll be available

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

Just a reminder to anyone that can help: The official version of the Greek spell checking dictionary is *extremely* outdated. Anyone that can help updating the deb (preferably upstream) is welcome. The update is as easy as can be: just get the 3 text files from [1] and put them in the new deb replacing the old text files.

[1] http://elspell.math.upatras.gr/files/ooffice/el_GR.zip

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

FYI:
Steve Stavropoulos who is maintaining the Greek dictionary has just today announced he is planing to release a new version with only minor corrections AFAIK. The time frame is usually 10 to 20 days.

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

Steve Stavropoulos confirmed that the upcoming release is within 10 to 20 days and it's indeed a minor update.

[John Kozyrakis (ikoz)]

So, any news on this one? Its been 3 months :)

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

Quoting (Greek) email from Steve Stavropoulos that anounces the a release candidate:

Θέμα: [Elspell] Νέα έκδοση του λεξικού (version 0.8)
Ημερομηνία: Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:47:26 +0200
Από: Steve Stavropoulos <email address hidden>
Προς: <email address hidden>

 Attached είναι η νέα έκδοση του λεξικού για aspell. Παρακαλώ, όποιος
μπορεί, να τη δοκιμάσει και να αναφέρει τυχόν προβλήματα. Αν δεν
υπάρχουν προβλήματα, τότε θα θα γίνει και ευρύτερη δημοσίευση της.
Μέχρι τότε καλό είναι να μείνει μεταξύ μας.
 Να σας θυμίσω ότι η τωρινή έκδοση του ελληνικού λεξικού για aspell,
είναι πραγματικά απαρχαιωμένη και η νέα αυτή έκδοση προσθέτει
εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες νέες λέξεις.

 Η έκδοση για openoffice θα βγει αργότερα.

Μικρό quote από το README που συνοδεύει τη νέα έκδοση:

name : el_GR 0.8 version of the greek dictionary
dd/mm/yyyy: 14/12/2008
License : MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1
contact : Steve Stavropoulos
URL : http://elspell.math.upatras.gr

  This release added 13596 new correct words to the 0.7 release. Thanks
go to Alexios Zavras and Nick Demou.

[Nick Andrik (andrikos)]

I have already sent a request to adopt this package as for in
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=566668

Can someone please point me to the latest upstream version?
I guess this must be kind of old since myspell is being (has been?) replaced by hunspell.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package myspell-el-gr - 0.7-1

---------------
myspell-el-gr (0.7-1) unstable; urgency=low

  * New maintainer ( Closes: #566668 )

  * New upstream version (Closes: #286653, LP: #39145)
    - The translation is now tri-licensed (MPL 1.1 / GPL 2.0 / LGPL 2.1)
    - Update of the .aff file (Thanks to Nick Demou, Closes: #415719)
    - Important bugfix release on decreasing the total word count by 20000 by
      adding/removing many thousands of words (Thanks to Niko Almpanopoulo)
    - Added almost 200000 words in the dictionary (Thanks to Evripidis
      Papakostas and Nick Demou)
    - Upgraded the .aff file to improve the recognition of the greek words
      in openoffice

  * debian/control:
    - Replace old maintainer
    - Bumped Standards-Version to 3.9.0
    - Added project homepage
    - Added cdbs build-dependency
    - Updated debhelper build-dependency to version >= 7.0.0
    - Change Build-Depends-Indep to Build-Depends because debhelper is needed
      for clean rule
    - Added ${misc:Depends} to the binary dependency list
  * debian/copyright:
    - Updated license information to reflect the triple licensing
    - Updated project homepage
    - Updated copyright information
  * debian/compat:
    - Removed duplicate line
    - Bumped version to 7
  * debian/docs:
    - Removed README.UTF-8 and README.ISO-8859-7
    - Added README_el_GR.txt
  * debian/myspell-el-gr.dictlistinfo:
    - Removed duplicate line
  * debian/myspell-el-gr.install:
    - Updated the file using wildcards and separating filenames and folders
  * debian/postinst.in:
    - Removed duplicate code
  * debian/postrm.in:
    - Removed duplicate code
    - Added -e flag in order not to ignore errors
  * debian/rules:
    - Replaced old explicit rules with cdbs
  * debian/source/format:
    - Added 3.0 (quilt)
  * debian/watch:
    - Added file with mention that the version of the downloaded file cannot
      be determined automatically
 -- Nick Andrik <email address hidden> Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:31:34 +0200