gcompris does not start on 9.04 amd64

[chris mason]

on a fairly fresh install of ubuntu 9.04 amd64, i installed the edubuntu metapackage. when i try to run gcompris, it does not start. when run from terminal, this is the output:

"
exec_prefix NULL
XF86VidMode: Compiled with XF86VidMode.
If you have problems starting GCompris in fullscreen, try the -x option to disable XF86VidMode.

** (process:5840): WARNING **: Binary relocation disabled
package_data_dir = /usr/share/gcompris/boards
package_locale_dir = /usr/share/locale
package_plugin_dir = /usr/lib/gcompris
package_python_plugin_dir= /usr/share/gcompris/python
Infos:
   Config dir '/home/ep/.config/gcompris'
   Users dir '/home/ep/My GCompris'
   Database '/home/ep/.config/gcompris/gcompris_sqlite.db'
Exception ImportError: 'No module named Numeric' in 'garbage collection' ignored
Fatal Python error: unexpected exception during garbage collection
Aborted
"

running with the -x option makes no difference.

running as root, for the heck of it, returns:

"
ep@ep-9:~$ sudo gcompris
sudo: gcompris: command not found
"

[chris mason (mason-christopher-thomas)]

thread here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7506126

[chris mason (mason-christopher-thomas)]

i found the fix for this bug on the forums:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1123781

python-numeric needs to be listed as a dependent for the gcompris package.

[chris mason (mason-christopher-thomas)]

why was this marked as Invalid?

[LaserJock (laserjock)]

Chris, I marked the edubuntu-meta part Invalid because this bug, if it can be fixed, should be fixed in gcompris.

[chris mason (mason-christopher-thomas)]

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

Isn't the binary packaging of a .deb file (including the .deb's list of dependencies) the responsibility of the individual distribution in question?

http://gcompris.net/ does not provide official Ubuntu .deb file downloads.

the source code .tar.gz at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gcompris/files/ does not have this bug.

Only the .deb from Ubuntu's repositories (and maybe Debian, I wouldn't know) has this bug.

How would it be gcompris' responsibility to correct a minor _packaging_ error on the part of Ubuntu with Ubuntu's gcompris .deb package?

...Well, I'll ask this since this is edging on territory I am unfamiliar with:

If I go ahead and take the five minutes to fix the .deb package so it correctly lists python-numeric as a depen, where would I go about submitting it?

[chris mason (mason-christopher-thomas)]

ah, I see where the confusion came from.

This is listed as a bug both in edubuntu-meta AND as a bug with gcompris.

I'll be specific to avoid confusion:

this bug does _not_ pertain to the edubuntu-meta package.
this bug does _not_ pertain to the gcompris program itself.

This bug is _ONLY_ pertaining to the list of dependencies in the official Ubuntu gcompris _PACKAGE_ contained in the official Ubuntu software repositories.

The fix is to add "python-numeric" to the list of dependencies of the Ubuntu "gcompris" package.

:D

[LaserJock (laserjock)]

Yeah, sorry, I should have been more clear in my explanation. I wasn't saying that it wasn't the distro's responsibility to fix the issue. Yes, the fix is easy, however because of a technical issue that is out of my control we can't put the fix into the jaunty-updates repository. python-numeric is in the Universe component and gcompris is in Main. A strictly enforced rule is that a Main package can't depend on a Universe package. What Edubuntu can do is provide a fixed up package in a semi-official Edubuntu PPA where such rules aren't in place. Would that at least help?

Karmic Koala (9.10) won't have this problem, btw.

[chris mason (mason-christopher-thomas)]

Hi,

I was not aware of that policy.

Thanks for the information!