[Thinkfinger-devel] Bug#409563: ITP: thinkfinger -- library and utility for the SGS Thomson Microelectronics fingerprint reader

[Luca Capello]

Package: wnpp
Owner: Luca Capello <***@pca.it>
Severity: wishlist

* Package name : thinkfinger
Version : 0.2.2 [1]
Upstream Author : Timo Hoenig <***@suse.de>, Pavel Machek <***@suse.cz>
* URL or Web page : http://thinkfinger.sourceforge.net
* License : GPL
Description : $PACKAGE for the SGS Thomson Microelectronics fingerprint reader

ThinkFinger is a driver for the UPEK/SGS Thomson Microelectronics
fingerprint reader. The device is being found either as a standalone
USB device, built into USB keyboards or built into laptops (usually
From Dell, IBM/Lenovo and Toshiba).

Here it will be the second part of the long description, read below.
Moreover, $PACKAGE in the short description will reflect the package
contents [2].

ThinkFinger is devided into two parts: libthinkfinger and
pam_thinkfinger. libthinkfinger is a library to be used in order to
communicate with the fingerprint reader. The utility 'tf-tool' can be
used to acquire and to verify fingerprints.

Now, I don't really know the best way to package ThinkFinger. In
theory, I guess we should have (file size in bytes, not stripped):

- libthinkfinger, depends on libusb
/usr/lib/libthinkfinger.so (31751)

- libthinkfinger-dev
/usr/include/libthinkfinger.h (4732)
/usr/lib/libthinkfinger.a (40484)
/usr/lib/libthinkfinger.la (876)
/usr/lib/pkgconfig/libthinkfinger.pc (324)

- tf-tool, depends on libthinkfinger
/usr/sbin/tf-tool (23152)
/usr/share/man/man1/tf-tool.1.gz (1052)

- libpam-thinkfinger, depends on libthinkfinger [3]
/etc/pam_thinkfinger/ [where the login fingerprint are stored]
/lib/security/pam_thinkfinger.so (27724)
/usr/share/man/man8/pam_thinkfinger.8.gz (782)

Am I correct? Is tf-tool worth a single package or can I include it
in libthinkfinger (as I'd prefer)?

Thx, bye,
Gismo / Luca

Footnotes:
[1] the package version will be greater than 0.2.2, because I'll wait
for the inclusion of the manpages as of
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.drivers.thinkfinger/111
[2] I still have a problem, because e.g. "PAM module for the SGS
Thomson Microelectronics fingerprint reader" is longer than the
expected 60 characters for the short description. Suggestions
welcome!
[3] strictly speaking, the PAM module doesn't depend on tf-tool,
because it uses libthinkfinger to access the fingerprint reader.
However, it should recommends tf-tool because the latter is
necessary to acquire the fingerprint for a login user

[Luca Capello]

Hello!

I have already begun packaging this. I realize that this bug report
is an ITP, so I don't want to step on your toes.

Please read below.

I have already emailed my package to your thinkfinger-devel on your
sourceforge project.

Apart from the fact that ThinkFinger isn't my project, I haven't see
your mail yet on the mailing-list. Are you subscribed to the list or
are you waiting for moderator's approval?

BTW, a small advice for your next package: as soon as you realize that
you want to package something, please file an ITP, thus other people
interested in the package can check the WNPP page before [1] ;-)

I just wanted to let you know that I would be happy to help in any
way I can.

Again, please read below.

Since I am not a Debian developer and you are, perhaps you could
sponsor this package since I would like to begin the process of
becoming a Debian developer?

I'm not a Debian developer yet [2], so I need a sponsor, too.

Now, either we maintain it as a team or I could step back :-D

Thx, bye,
Gismo / Luca

Footnotes:
[1] http://bugs.debian.org/wnpp
[2] https://nm.debian.org/nmstatus.php?email=luca%40pca.it

[Timo Hoenig]

Hi,

Post by Luca Capello
Apart from the fact that ThinkFinger isn't my project, I haven't see
your mail yet on the mailing-list. Are you subscribed to the list or
are you waiting for moderator's approval?

I haven't approved the mail as it was > 500K in size (plenty of debian
packages were attached).

Timo