Git Version Tags Missing since 08/2023 (Packaging roadblock for ArchLinux and perhaps other distro's)

[JamesClarke7283]

Hello, I am the current package maintainer for scratch3-bin which is ancient since there are no reliable builds.

Today cloned scratch-desktop today as i want to make a reliable scratch package for ArchLinux and found the built version and tags were out of sync, this blocks reliable ArchLinux builds because you need a git ref or something tracked upstream before you can even build (one can use hacks, but i want to do this properly).

Here is the relevant git describe output from the default: develop branch as of time of writing.

$ git describe --long --tags
v3.30.5-290-g7f2db87

Last git tag was: v3.30.5 on August 15th 2023.

So package on Archlinux is stuck, as for most other distros, apart from forked versions of scratch where this is not an issue: https://desktop.turbowarp.org/ most gnu builds are stale, debian sid, official arch, guix and even nix official repos either don't package anymore or are stuck on an ancient version.

I have found this fork that is packaged quite well:
https://desktop.turbowarp.org/
Perhaps, one can pull some of the build stuff from them and merge it.

I am making a separate package: scratch-git that tries to build from source and usually needs a clear pkgver, however due to discrepancies between versions listed through git tags/refs and the final build AppImage version, its causing issues with packaging as i need to match the build artifact: Scratch 3-3.31.1.AppImage with the package version taken from git (which can only be done before the build step).

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages?O=0&SeB=n&K=scratch&outdated=&SB=p&SO=d&PP=50&submit=Go

The official packages for archlinux and debian, are stuck at v1.4
https://packages.debian.org/sid/scratch

Ive already read the relevent part of the README currently maintaining a package for scratch is proving difficult, all vanilla(non-fork) scratch packages are ancient, even the official one scratch.

Side Note: Maintainability issues & Solutions

Some guidance would be great also(but isn't directly the scope of this issue so i would understand if you want to skip this aspect), because the GNU/Linux builds use AppImage and are not officially supported for production use, i realise the packaging burden is higher (although the AppImage is perfectly functional itself), for example when installing with appimage launcher, the locale text for the .desktop file is there as it pulls from the i13n files you have, unpacking the AppImage with --appimage-extract does give me a .desktop file in the squashfs folder but isn't internationalised.
This aspect might just me being dumb and not enough knowledge on appimagekit, but this is what ive found.

[cwillisf]

Hi, @JamesClarke7283! Thanks for getting in touch. I appreciate your work on scratch3-bin! I've even used that package myself in the past. (See also scratchfoundation/scratch-editor#205)

Anyway, the main reason for the lack of recent tags is that we had a very long gap in app releases. The Scratch Foundation has gone through some significant changes in the last few years, and our release schedule got off-track as a side effect. However, as you likely noticed, we released version 3.31.1 recently. Huge props to @KManolov3 for making that happen! It looks like we skipped the "make and push a tag" step, so I just did that; you should now see a new v3.31.1 tag in this repository. One of my current goals is to reestablish a regular release cadence for our apps, and probably automate more of the release process while we're at it.

I think creating that tag resolved the core issue described here, so I'm marking this resolved. Please let me know if I missed something or made a mistake!

(I'm not sure about your AppImage questions... I don't have experience with AppImageKit either. Sorry! If you can identify a change that would help, like "please expose this string for localization" or something, please let us know. Thanks!)

[JamesClarke7283]

Hi, @JamesClarke7283! Thanks for getting in touch. I appreciate your work on scratch3-bin! I've even used that package myself in the past. (See also scratchfoundation/scratch-editor#205)

I should clarify i am not the original maintainer, just the current one. Much of the work was done by Taboon Egon (user: etaboon).

All my commits were from only today. (:

I used to use Scratux before it was obsoleted since AppImages build fine here now.

I think if i recall some Scratux patches were backported here. Good luck running the git blame for it though lol.

I had to make some local patches at one point, but, My younger brother really liked it though, (when he was 6 years old), Scratux was really useful for him. That was a very long time ago now lol.

Anyway, the main reason for the lack of recent tags is that we had a very long gap in app releases. The Scratch Foundation has gone through some significant changes in the last few years, and our release schedule got off-track as a side effect. However, as you likely noticed, we released version 3.31.1 recently. Huge props to @KManolov3 for making that happen! It looks like we skipped the "make and push a tag" step, so I just did that; you should now see a new v3.31.1 tag in this repository. One of my current goals is to reestablish a regular release cadence for our apps, and probably automate more of the release process while we're at it.

Great! That could help with regression testing and tracking bug reports, etc. Although for my use-case it may be moot, i have a better idea i will explain below.

I think creating that tag resolved the core issue described here, so I'm marking this resolved. Please let me know if I missed something or made a mistake!

(I'm not sure about your AppImage questions... I don't have experience with AppImageKit either. Sorry! If you can identify a change that would help, like "please expose this string for localization" or something, please let us know. Thanks!)

Yes i think it does, for AppImage, i did some manual code review.

It appears the road block to packaging may be easier than once thought, you use Electron Builder, its main purpose it to be cross platform, and if you have the correct metadata.

It *should be relatively straightforward. I looked at some of the un-merged PRs on .deb and they seem to mostly work with some tweaks.

There was one that added a ".deb" package but it had the flaw of always building both AppImage and Deb (there was no way to tell the CLI to only do one).

Point is, i most likely wont even need to make my own PKGBUILD.

At least i know by default from the docs: AppImage, Flatpak & Snap are first class supported.

As this is a NodeJS project and you have MacOS/Windows builds working.

You can probably as is add the windows builds to your website. (It has the added benifit that scratch3-bin could be updated as it used those builds initially).

Also windows users wont be stuck at 3.19.1. Which is a plus.

That would be something your end though.
By Auto Uploading the built windows artifacts to downloads.scratch.mit.edu/desktop/Scratch Setup.exe

Then that should fix the immidiate build servers issue. For my "-bin" package too.