Several programs can't be started: dependency libavg dropped gameapp, newer versions needed

[Aapo Rantalainen]

When libavg 1.8 was released, a file named gameapp.py was removed from it. Several packages which depend upon libavg ceased to work because they attempted to import and use this file.

Thanks to OXullo Intersecans, they have now been fixed upstream to work with post-1.8 libavg. These packages should be updated to the latest upstream version in order to start working properly again.

In the meantime, they print an error message when attempting to run one of them, see for instance sponc below:

--- Original description

apt-get install sponc
sponc
-> ERROR: Cannot find sponc package: reinstall the game.

apt-get source sponc
cd sponc-1.0+svn6822/sponc
python Game.py
-> Traceback (most recent call last):
-> File "Game.py", line 29, in <module>
-> from libavg import avg, gameapp,Point2D, AVGApp
-> ImportError: cannot import name gameapp

dpkg -L python-libavg | grep game
-> Empty

[Hans Joachim Desserud (hjd)]

Thanks for taking your time to report this issue and help making Ubuntu better.

I get the same error message when attempting to run sponc 1.0+svn6822-0ubuntu2on Ubuntu Vivid.

Looks like the underlying reason is that gameapp.py was removed from python-libavg as mentioned in the title. (Compare http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/i386/python-libavg/filelist with http://packages.ubuntu.com/trusty/i386/python-libavg/filelist) I don't know whether it was removed completely or whether there is now a drop-in replacement which should be imported instead.

(Also related to bug 1409877 which seems to have the same underlying cause.)

[Hans Joachim Desserud (hjd)]

Since gameapp.py was intentionally removed from libavg upstream (see https://github.com/libavg/libavg/commit/7e1b4d89cdfe15d1ac37383375ce75adf7fdf04c for details), I reckon this issue won't be fixed in the libavg package. Instead the apps will need to be updated/ported.

Looked like the same commit ported a demo program to use app instead, which presumably can be used as an example for what will need to be changed.

[OXullo Intersecans (oxullo)]

6 packages in total are affected (empcommand, magictouch, mttroff, multitet, planarity, sponc).
I can take care of fixing the apps upstream, then it'll be just matter of updating the packages.

[OXullo Intersecans (oxullo)]

Fixed upstream for all games

[Hans Joachim Desserud (hjd)]

Great job. Thanks OXullo. :)

I guess all that remains now is that the various packages mentioned should package the latest version to get things working again. (I checked the other ones you mentioned too, and the had similar error messages on startup.)

[RUSL Bicycle (bikerusl)]

I'm still getting this error:
ERROR: Cannot find planarity package: reinstall the game.
(yes I did re-install)

I'm at
Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS \n \l
Linux 4.4.0-45-generic #66-Ubuntu SMP Wed Oct 19 14:12:37 UTC 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Where do I find the updated version of planarity?

Thanks

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[RUSL Bicycle (bikerusl)]

I'm getting this on planarity version:
planarity Version: 1.0+svn6432-0ubuntu2
Depends: python (>= 2.7.1-0ubuntu2), python-libavg (>= 1.7.0)
libavg Version: 1.8.1-2