[Debian-olpc-devel] Fwd: Packaging eLearning XHTML editor (eXe) for debian

[David Farning]

> Hello,
> I tried packaging eXe for debian.
> The package already had a script exe/installs/debian/ubuntu/make.py to
> successfully create the deb package for ubuntu.
> To create debian package, I renamed ubuntu folder as debian, changed
> debian/changelog.in by renaming the version ( removed ubuntu from it ) and
> replaced
> cl.write("%s (%s-ubuntu1) unstable; urgency=low\n" %
>                  (exepkg, version.version))
> with
> cl.write("%s (%s-1) unstable; urgency=low\n" %
>                  (exepkg, version.version))

Yes that looks correct.

> in exe/installs/debian/ubuntu/make.py
> But on installing and running exe from the terminal, it calls firefox, which
> isn't installed on my system, so it didn't start in the web browser.
> OUTPUT:
> $ exe %f
> sh: firefox: not found
> sh: firefox: not found
> Welcome to eXe: the eLearning XHTML editor

One thing to consider is that EXELearning is pretty old.  I think the
official packaging was last updated 3 years ago.  Some options, try to
install an old firefox and see it it runs with that?

Another, probably related issue, is that exelearning depends on
XULrunner which is a older mozilla technology.  Ubuntu support for
XULrunner is rather weak.  I am not sure of the status in Debian
Unstable.

Short term solution is probably a work around.  Long term solution is
probably to update from XUL runner to webkit.

> The browser is being set as firefox in
> exe/engine/config.py ( line 74 )
> --------------------------------------------
> self.browserPath = Path("firefox")
> --------------------------------------------
>
> and is being called in
> exe/webui/browser.py ( line 117 )
> --------------------------------------------
> if sys.platform[:5] == u"linux":
>         setBrowserVersion(config.browserPath, config.configDir/profile)
> --------------------------------------------
>
> I tried replacing firefox with chromium-browser, that launches chromium, but
> doesn't start exelearning.
> Please let me know if the build process is correct ( I modified
> changelog.in and make.py only ) and if it could be modified so that it
> detects the installed browser and start exelearning in it.
>
> Regards,
> Kandarp.
>
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