= Group Meeting on Linux Distribution =

== What we need ==
1. Distribution mechanism
1. Way to handle dependencies

== Distribution approaches ==
1. '''shar''' (shell archive) files
 * Pro: Used for Chimera
 * Pro: Lots of flexibility
 * Con: We have to manage dependency checking
1. '''deb/rpm''' - native linux packagers
 * Pro: Can handle dependency checking easily
 * Pro: Pretty flexible
 * Pro: All Linux users will be familiar with this approach
1. '''Autoconf'''
 * Pro: Autoconf was also mentioned a lot, but primarily when sources are involved.
 * Con: Not really accessible for most Linux users
 * Pro: Most Linux developers will be very familiar with it
 * Both pro and con: Can handle dependency checking, assuming we embed that into the configuration file
1. '''pip/pypi'''
 * Pro: Native Python packager/distribution
 * Con: Not clear how we would handle dependency checking
 * Con: Not clear how we would register app with the system

== Dependency Management ==
1. Static linking
 * Pro: We deliver all dependencies.  No dependency issues
 * Con: Upstream bug fixes/security enhancements won't get propagated
 * Con: distribution will be very large
1. Deliver all dependencies in ChimeraX lib
 * Pro's and Con's are essentially the same as above

== Suggested Approach (long term) ==
1. Provide our own repostory
 * Include rpm or deb files for all dependencies as well as for ChimeraX itself
1. Users would download an rpm/deb that added our repository to their repo list
 * This would include creating the appropriate keys
1. Users would install (or update) ChimeraX
 * If the system already has the necessary dependencies, no more will be added
 * Missing dependencies would be pulled from our repository and installed

== Suggested Approach (for December release) ==
1. Use shar to distribute
1. Add the libicu 52 shared objects to ChimeraX's local library
 * libicu ''is'' the problem.  Linux library major version numbers are supposed to indicate API compatibility
 * libicu major version numbers indicate Unicode changes (e.g. addition of new characters)
 * ICU releases a new major version every 6 months...