ChimeraX Developer Meeting

Attendance: Eric, Zach, Tom, Greg, Elaine

February 13, 2023

Agenda

• ChimeraX Python 3.11 build tests.
• ChimeraX Ideas milestone clean-up.
• Python 3 generic API mmcif test results.
• Replace Chimera Opal web services with ChimeraX REST, Eric.
• Update prereqs now
• Install Splunk on plato to monitor web services.
• Make Chimera release this year?
  • Opal will be shutdown on plato around mid-May, so release before that.
• Back up the Chimera build machine to a solid state drive, Windows 7?
• Toolshed bundle requirement checking
• Discuss possible OpenMM and VR improvements for Tristan and Altos to pursue
• Arrow graphic for Mac dmg file

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Discussion

• ChimeraX ideas milestone cleanup
  • We removed all completed items from the ideas milestone
  • We clarified remaining items.
  • Remains to 1) organize items into categories, 2) prioritize them, 3) move some to a ChimeraX 1.7 milestone.

• Python 3.11 in ChimeraX
  • Decided best to keep ChimeraX 1.6 at Python 3.9.
  • Switch to Python 3.11 right after the ChimeraX 1.6 release.
  • This gives more time for 3.11 to stabilize, it has only been out 3 months.
  • Also allows us to change to 3.11 at the start of a ChimeraX release cycle instead of rushing at the end.
  • Studied changes Zach made to build with 3.11: PyOpenGL and tinyarray and tables needed hand compiling.

• Python 3 generic C API
  • Greg says we may need to require Python 3.11 base to have Py_Buffer api, or maybe only 3.10 for unicode api.
  • This may not help in releasing a ChimeraX library for older Python (3.7, 3.8, 3.9), but an initial library release can just target 3.11.

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Action Items

• Present github continuous integration tutorial. Zach
• Beta releases on Toolshed - make ticket for this. Greg