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Hi gang. |
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Just as the subject says, the ap-sci/blas-* packages have "gone gold", that is |
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were unmasked in package.mask and went into testing. (So, apparently I am |
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reserving the "platinum" for the true stable :)). This includes blas-config, |
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bals-reference and blas-atlas, - the packages providing a Basic Linear |
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Algebra System library. |
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As often happens with such basic libraries, there are multiple |
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implementations. In this case the blas-reference is really that - a reference |
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implementation of blas routines in fortran 77. blas-alas is an optimized |
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implementation with routines that autotune depending on the type and size of |
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vectors/matrices (in other words, the more efficient one). It was discussed a |
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while ago that it would be nice to be able to install both and switch them on |
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the fly and this is the first release of this new blas "subsystem". This is |
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done via virtuals and blas-config script, just like for gcc/java. Similar |
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reorganization is in the works for lapack (linear algebra package), which is |
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actually the "usefull" library that provides higher level routines. |
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Who should be concerned? Firstly maintainers of the packages that depend on |
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blas and apparently users who directly deal with blas/lapack libraries. |
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These new packages provide new flexibility and have a few bugs fixed (that |
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haven't yet influenced the stable profile, but will bite old blas packages as |
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new gcc/libtool go into stable). Oh and on top of that they provide shared |
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libs, something original packages did not do :). This was asked for a lot, so |
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we added it. |
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We means here mostly Derek Dolney and me (see #30453 for details), but its |
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been tested by a few more people. Unfortunately as there were complications |
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along the way (those new bugs popping up, so we had to deal with them) and |
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due to some time restraints (Derek's involvement with his job and me trying |
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to graduate from caltech and find a [biotech] position in Germany :)) on our |
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side this process took a bit longer than expected. But finally its here! |
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|
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So, the plan is as follows: |
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1. The blas packages are released into testing - just done. |
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2. Maintainers of blas related packages update their ebuilds - |
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This message is basically a call to start that process. |
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The update should be pretty basic. If the package can be compiled against both |
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blas-reference and blas-atlas (which should be true for the majority of |
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packages) just replace app-sci/blas with virtual/blas and add |
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app-sci/blas-config to DEPEND. Otherwise the dependency gets changed to the |
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particular one, as appropriate. You may check for differences between |
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app-sci/xfoil-6.94 and -r1. |
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AFAI could find this was the only package depending strictly on blas (and not |
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on lapack), so this might be pretty much it actually. Although I would like |
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to have its maintainer test and unmask yourself (in case there are any |
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"particulars"). |
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3. Work on lapack packages commences - started |
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4. lapack gets released into testing |
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5. Another period of updates is allowed after which |
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6. Given that >=sys-devel/libtool-1.5 gets into stable and enough testing was |
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done these packages are moved there too. |
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7. Old packages are package-masked and then removed.. |
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|
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George |
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-- |
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