Ubuntu

Bug #323836
Comment #12

Comment 12 for bug 323836

Revision history for this message

Yuv (yuv) wrote on 2010-11-11:

#12

Hi Fabrice,

thanks for the feedback.

About Hugin: I have good contact to the Debian packagers in Hugin and we'll get it done in time. I'll touch base with you in due time to make sure.

About Autopano-SIFT-C

> it's easier to post a clean version of your package

strictly speaking it is not "my" package, and as a newbie I am not qualified to say if the package is clean. Can you?

> clean means:
> - only one entry in the changelog, closing the bug report, for natty

you mean in debian/changelog?

> - debian/copyright file reviewed

understand.

> - patch system if some modifications are required to upstream source

AFAIK no modifications are required. When I build it locally, it works.

> - watch file to download latest version

what is a "watch file"? AFAIK the package linked is v2.5.1 which is the latest working version. v2.5.2 is a buggy work in progress and AFAIK from the community around Hugin nobody has been working at it actively for the last year.

> As you are saying that a new free points detections tool is under development, is it still useful to package autopano-sift-c?

IMHO it is technically useful but the decision is more complex than a technicality.

Technically, autopano-sift-c and cpfind, although both control point detectors, yield different results. One may work better in some situations and another may work better in others. There are others CP detecting algorithms as well and from a purely technical perspective putting as many of them in the user's toolbox is the Right Thing to do.

Things become complex because there is at least one known patent on the SIFT algorithm that underlies autopano-sift-C (currently being discussed) and autopano-sift (mono implementation that has been distributed with Ubuntu for a few years now).

Whoever distributes sift should IMHO seek legal advice in their jurisdiction. I assume whoever is responsible for autopano-sift being distributed with Ubuntu did so. At some point the SIFT patent will expire and everything will be Free, but until then the patent holder specifically states on their home page [0] that the code is provided for research purposes only and commercial users must seek a license.

As you see, the decision is not an easy one, and it definitely not for me to make it.

Sorry,
Yuv

[0] http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~lowe/keypoints/

Hi Fabrice,

thanks for the feedback.

About Hugin:  I have good contact to the Debian packagers in Hugin and we'll get it done in time.  I'll touch base with you in due time to make sure.

About Autopano-SIFT-C

> it's easier to post a clean version of your package

strictly speaking it is not "my" package, and as a newbie I am not qualified to say if the package is clean.  Can you?

> clean means:
> - only one entry in the changelog, closing the bug report, for natty

you mean in debian/changelog?

> - debian/copyright file reviewed

understand.

> - patch system if some modifications are required to upstream source

AFAIK no modifications are required.  When I build it locally, it works.

> - watch file to download latest version

what is a "watch file"?  AFAIK the package linked is v2.5.1 which is the latest working version. v2.5.2 is a buggy work in progress and AFAIK from the community around Hugin nobody has been working at it actively for the last year.

> As you are saying that a new free points detections tool is under development, is it still useful to package autopano-sift-c?

IMHO it is technically useful but the decision is more complex than a technicality.

Technically, autopano-sift-c and cpfind, although both control point detectors, yield different results.  One may work better in some situations and another may work better in others.  There are others CP detecting algorithms as well and from a purely technical perspective putting as many of them in the user's toolbox is the Right Thing to do.

Whoever distributes sift should IMHO seek legal advice in their jurisdiction.  I assume whoever is responsible for autopano-sift being distributed with Ubuntu did so.  At some point the SIFT patent will expire and everything will be Free, but until then the patent holder specifically states on their home page [0] that the code is provided for research purposes only and commercial users must seek a license.

As you see, the decision is not an easy one, and it definitely not for me to make it.

Sorry,
Yuv

[0] http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~lowe/keypoints/