Obsolete Python Numeric should be replaced by NumPy

[bemasc]

As of build 368, the OS image includes the "Numeric" Python library. "Numeric" is obsolete, having been replaced by "NumArray", which is also deprecated in favor of "NumPy", which is current. Programs written for "Numeric" should be trivial to convert to "NumPy", and the authors provide automated tools for converting Python code from one to the other.

Unless there is a specific reason to continue using this obsolete library, it should be upgraded.

See http://numpy.scipy.org/

[J5]

Ok, we need this now. In tests creating a 960000 element array it takes 21 seconds normally and 15.5 seconds if we optimize it. With NumPy it takes 0.014 seconds. This is all at a cost of about 6M of packages (which means it is larger uncompressed) but it is well worth it since other people want this and we need it to get rid of half the time it takes to go from X to sugar. Will be in next build.

[J5]

in 552

[bemasc]

As of joyride-184, numpy is in the build, but so is Numeric. This is redundant, and a waste of valuable disk space. Numeric should be removed, unless something depends on it and cannot be ported. I will volunteer to port any Python apps still using Numeric.

[cscott]

Currently python-numeric is needed by pygtk2-2.12.1 and pygame-1.7.1 in F9. bemasc, can I take you up on your volunteering to fix this? Dennis can probably help you if you need Fedora-foo to make this happen.

[bemasc]

Pygame seems to be fixed in 1.8.0. pygtk is a little iffier; I'll look into it.

[bemasc]

PyGTK knows about this bug; it's http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=397544

That bug links to an agreed-upon patch; they're just waiting for the next major release to break compatibility. I think we should apply that patch.

[cscott]

dsd, could you help bemasc shepherd this patch into our pygtk?

[dsd]

I patched it and put some RPMs in my public_rpms for testing. However pygame also depends on numeric, we are still using v1.7. Do we want to fork and upgrade?

[cscott]

What's the compatibility between pygame 1.7 and 1.8? I'm fine with upgrading to pygame 1.8 for 8.2, if that doesn't break all of the pygame-based activities out there. If I'm reading http://www.seul.org/viewcvs/viewcvs.cgi/trunk/WHATSNEW?rev=1513&root=PyGame&view=markup there weren't any "breaks old code" changes made between 1.7 and 1.8.

Maybe the best way to find out is to upgrade to 1.8, with the possibility of reverting if folks revolt. Pygame is pretty heavily used by kids learning to write activities, so it seems like keeping up to date with upstream releases would be a Good Thing.

Is there any reason why F9 didn't move to 1.8 already?

[dsd]

OK, pushed a public_rpm which dropped numeric from the build. Will give that a few days to see if any breakage appears.

Also filed an upstream bug with the other questions, https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=457074

[cscott]

dsd, could you open new bugs for the activities which need to be updated as a result of this change? Thanks.