[needs packaging] Package and use autopano-sift-c

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This bug is tagged needs-packaging which identifies it as a request for a new package in Ubuntu. As a part of the managing needs-packaging bug reports specification, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/Specs/NeedsPackagingBugs, all needs-packaging bug reports have Wishlist importance. Subsequently, I'm setting this bug's status to Wishlist.

This could be a merge from debian-multimedia:
http://debian-multimedia.org/dists/unstable/main/binary-i386/package/autopano-sift-c.php

Upstream is:
svn co https://hugin.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/hugin/autopano-sift-C/trunk autopano-sift-C

An additional benefit would be the elimination of a patch needed for for merging hugin, since debian and upstream use autopano-sift-c, and ubuntu is currently using autopano-complete.

Ready for a sync request as soon as the Lucid archives open.

Built and uploaded to my ppa:
https://launchpad.net/~darxus/+archive/autopano-sift-c
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/darxus/autopano-sift-c/ubuntu karmic main

Only thing I did was a changelog entry to make signing easier. This should be a direct sync.

http://debian-multimedia.org/dists/unstable/main/binary-i386/package/autopano-sift-c.php
http://debian-multimedia.org/pool/main/a/autopano-sift-c/autopano-sift-c_2.5.0-0.1.dsc
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid main

It might be a good idea to use 2.5.1~rc2:
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.misc.ptx/19040
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.misc.ptx/19152

How come this didn’t get into Lucid yet?

Bogdan: Because I forgot about it and haven't been checking things that were assigned to me. I'll unassign myself. It should be really easy to do. It won't make Lucid at this point, it would go in Maverick.

There is a 2.5.1 final https://launchpad.net/~hugin/+archive/hugin-builds/+packages

What does it take to make this happen in the next 'buntu release (Natty, if I am not mistaken)? I am volunteering if somebody can guide/mentor me.

We (the Hugin project) have also released Hugin-2010.2.0 recently and plan to release Hugin-2010.4.0 around the end of the year.

When is the cutoff to make it into Natty?

Hugin 2010.2.0 and later depends on the latest release of libpano13 (2.9.17).

Hugin-2010.4.0 represents a milestone because it is the first time that Hugin will ship with a full feature set. We are replacing our dependency on autopano-sift-C (encumbered by the SIFT patent in some jurisdictions) with a completely Free control point generator, thanks to Google Summer of Code sponsorships and a lively contributors community.

For the past two years we've been consistently releasing 2-3 times per year and there is more in the pipeline - every Google Summer of Code participation results in approximately 3 releases. Each release brings new and relevant features / significant changes from the previous ones. I'd like to contribute to make the 'buntu distributed packages of Hugin/Libpano/Enblend equally relevant and dynamic.

Thank you for your help
Yuv

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NattyReleaseSchedule
That says Feature Freeze is on February 24th, 2011.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FeatureFreeze
That says "At this point we stop introducing new features, packages, and APIs, and concentrate on fixing bugs in the development release." so I think that's your deadline.

I think the process is basically get a working and tested package into a Launchpad PPA, mention that you have in a bug somewhere, and then subscribe the MOTU to that bug, and they'll sponsor it into the archives.

To do the subscription thing, click "subscribe someone else" on the bug page and I think you want to just enter "MOTU".

Ah, this looks useful: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DistributedDevelopment/Documentation/SeekingSponsorship

thanks for the fast reply, Darxus, and for the description of the process.

I am not sure if Feature Freeze is what we need to eye, or rather FeatureDefinitionFreeze (November 25).

Yuv

OK. As you described, I "subscribed someone else" and entered "MOTU". There is a working and tested PPA package:

https://launchpad.net/~hugin/+archive/hugin-builds/+sourcepub/1345418/+listing-archive-extra

do we need to make one for Natty too, or will they take care of it?

Maybe somebody from the MOTU team can also answer the question of what we need to do to get the latest Hugin-2010.4.0, scheduled for December 2010, into Natty.

Have a good week
Yuv

Hi,

Feature Freeze is the right date to look at, but this doesn't mean that it can't be uploaded after: it's harder, but no impossible.

As it's a new package, it's easier to post a clean version of your package in REVU (see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Packages/REVU for the process), and post the link here: I'm already subscribed to the bug report and will be notified.
clean means:
- only one entry in the changelog, closing the bug report, for natty
- debian/copyright file reviewed
- patch system if some modifications are required to upstream source
- watch file to download latest version

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

About Hugin: the package we have in Ubuntu comes from Debian, even if we have a small specific modification. The best way is to have t first in Debian, and we sync/merge it afterward (with a FFe, if we are post Feature Freeze).

Thanks,
Fabrice

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,

The SIFT algorithm has been already discussed in the Technical Board (see bug #550255), so this would covers also autopano-sift-c.

About the package: please ask Philipp to upload the package to REVU, and I'll make all comments there. By the way, I've not been able to download the orig.tar.gz tarball from the ppa, and the signature difers from the one in sourceforge, so there is something wrong there.

thanks,
Fabrice

Hi and thanks for the info Fabrice.

I subscribed Philipp to this bug and I kindly ask him to follow up on your remarks and to clean up his autopano-sift-C 2.5.1 package so that it can become part of Natty.

Philipp?

thanks
Yuv

Has there been any progress with this?

Is it still likely to make it in to Natty, or is it to late?

Hi,

Hugin 2010.4.0 has been has been synced from Debian for Natty, and this version has his own point detection algorithm, meaning that hugin does not depends on autopano-sift anymore.

So the chance that this package make it for Natty is very low, to be honest.

Fabrice

Ah, great.

Perhaps someone should close this iissue?

edam, yeah probably.

Fixed by packaging hugin 2010.4.0 which no-longer depends on autopano-sift.

Hugin's own detection algorithm has even lower detection rates than a standard Harris corner detector, and definitely does NOT allow automatic stitching. Thus we are letting a broken software in the repository. A workaround is to install an old DEB of autopano-sift-c, but it should be added again in the repos...