Draft for a project list and two proposals.

[neurodebian.git] / sphinx / proj_matlab.rst

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+.. -*- mode: rst; fill-column: 78 -*-
+.. ex: set sts=4 ts=4 sw=4 et tw=79:
+
+.. _project_matlab:
+
+*********************************
+Integrating Matlab-based software
+*********************************
+
+There is a vast amount of Matlab-based software for neuro-imaging and
+psychological research. For various reasons, such software has not been
+considered for integration into Debian in the past. However, recent advances of
+the Octave_ project allow running a significant number of Matlab tools without
+a proprietary environment.
+
+To ease the transition to a completely open-source research environment, we are
+following a two-fold approach. On one hand we start packaging all relevant
+Octave-compatible software for Debian. On the other hand we work on a proper
+integration of (still) Matlab-only software.
+
+The latter shall be achieved by establishing an adaptor Debian package that can
+represent local Matlab installations to the Debian package management system.
+Moreover, this package provides helper tools that ease building MEX extensions
+from source during package installation with a local Matlab and therefor allow
+for inclusion of such packages into Debian 'contrib' suite (given an appropriate
+licence).
+
+The goal is to provide researchers with fully functional Matlab software, that
+can be used with Matlab on Debian systems, while benefiting from all advantages
+of Debian integration. However, at the same time researchers should have the
+possibility to seamlessly switch to Octave_ whenever possible or necessary (e.g.
+a laptop being out of reach of a university's license server), and eventually
+completely migrate to Octave when full compatibility for a particular software
+is achieved.
+
+This effort includes talking to upstream projects about the possibility to run
+with Octave, as well as developing patches to achieve compatibility.
+
+.. _Octave: http://www.gnu.org/software/octave
+
+Status
+------
+
+A :ref:`Matlab-adaptor package <pkg_matlab>` draft is ready and available from
+NeuroDebian.
+
+Packaging of individual Matlab-based software has started. This includes
+:ref:`SPM <pkg_matlab-spm8>` and :ref:`Fieldtrip <pkg_fieldtrip>` (see
+references_ for more packages). Expanding the coverage is planned.
+
+.. todo:: Integrating Matlab-based software
+
+   * Finish packaging of fieldtrip which is necessary to complete the packaging
+     of SPM.
+   * Adapt the packaging of `dynare <http://packages.debian.org/sid/dynare-matlab>`_
+     in Debian to use the new adaptor package. Once this is done and reviewed by
+     its maintainers the adaptor package can be submitted for inclusion into
+     Debian proper.
+
+References
+----------
+
+* `SPM packaging progress <http://bugs.debian.org/592390>`_ report.
+* `Fieldtrip packaging progress <http://bugs.debian.org/605492>`_ report.
+* `EEGLab packaging progress <http://bugs.debian.org/605739>`_ report.
+* `PsychToolbox packaging progress <http://bugs.debian.org/606557>`_ report.
+