diff --git a/lang/python/docs/Short_History.org b/lang/python/docs/Short_History.org index 11a87c67..2295499c 100644 --- a/lang/python/docs/Short_History.org +++ b/lang/python/docs/Short_History.org @@ -1,72 +1,87 @@ #+TITLE: A Short History of the GPGME bindings for Python * Overview :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: overview :END: The GPGME Python bindings passed through many hands and numerous phases before, after a fifteen year journey, coming full circle to return to the source. This is a short explanation of that journey. ** In the beginning :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: in-the-begining :END: In 2002 John Goerzen released PyME; Python bindings for the GPGME module which utilised the current release of Python of the time (Python 2.2 or 2.3) and SWIG. Shortly after creating it and ensuring it worked he stopped supporting it, though he left his work available on his Gopher site. +** Keeping the flame alive + :PROPERTIES: + :CUSTOM_ID: keeping-the-flame-alive + :END: + A couple of years later the project was picked up by Igor Belyi and actively developed and maintained by him from 2004 to 2008. Igor's whereabouts at the time of this document's creation are unknown, but the current authors do hope he is well. We're assuming (or hoping) that life did what life does and made continuing untenable. +** Passing the torch + :PROPERTIES: + :CUSTOM_ID: passing-the-torch + :END: + In 2014 Martin Albrecht wanted to patch a bug in the PyME code and discovered the absence of Igor. Following a discussion on the PyME mailing list he became the new maintainer for PyME, releasing version 0.9.0 in May of that year. He remains the maintainer of the original PyME release in Python 2.6 and 2.7 (available via PyPI). +** Coming full circle + :PROPERTIES: + :CUSTOM_ID: ouroboros + :END: + In 2015 Ben McGinnes approached Martin about a Python 3 version, while investigating how complex a task this would be the task ended up being completed. A subsequent discussion with Werner Koch led to the decision to fold the Python 3 port back into the original GPGME release in the languages subdirectory for non-C bindings. Ben is the maintainer of the Python 3 port within GPGME. In 2016 PyME was renamed to "gpg" and adopted by the upstream GnuPG team. ** The Annoyances of Git :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: the-annoyances-of-git :END: As anyone who has ever worked with git knows, submodules are horrible way to deal with pretty much anything. In the interests of avoiding migraines, that is being skipped with addition of PyME to GPGME. Instead the files will be added to the subdirectory, along with a copy of the entire git log up to that point as a separate file within the docs directory (old-commits.log). As the log for PyME is nearly 100KB and the log for GPGME is approximately 1MB, this would cause considerable bloat, as well as some confusion, should the two be merged. Hence the unfortunate, but necessary, step to simply move the files. A regular repository version will be maintained should it be possible to implement this better in the future. ** The Perils of PyPI :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: the-perils-of-pypi :END: At the current time the Python 3 fork is not available via PyPI and the pip installer. The recommended installation method is to follow the instructions in lang/py3-pyme/INSTALL. This will build the necessary SWIG portions against the installed version of GPGME.