1 \input texinfo @c -*- texinfo -*-
3 @setfilename short-history.info
4 @settitle A Short History of the GPGME bindings for Python
5 @documentencoding UTF-8
11 @title A Short History of the GPGME bindings for Python
19 @top A Short History of the GPGME bindings for Python
24 * Relics of the past::
27 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
32 * Keeping the flame alive::
34 * Coming full circle::
38 * The Annoyances of Git::
39 * The Perils of PyPI::
43 * GPG 1·8·0 - Python bindings for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library::
44 * PyME 0·9·0 - Python support for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library::
52 The GPGME Python bindings passed through many hands and numerous
53 phases before, after a fifteen year journey, coming full circle to
54 return to the source. This is a short explanation of that journey.
58 * Keeping the flame alive::
60 * Coming full circle::
63 @node In the beginning
64 @section In the beginning
66 In 2002 John Goerzen released PyME; Python bindings for the GPGME
67 module which utilised the current release of Python of the time and
68 SWIG.@footnote{In all likelihood thos would have been Python 2.2 or possibly
69 Python 2.3.} Shortly after creating it and ensuring it worked he stopped
70 supporting it, though he left his work available on his Gopher
73 @node Keeping the flame alive
74 @section Keeping the flame alive
76 A couple of years later the project was picked up by Igor Belyi and
77 actively developed and maintained by him from 2004 to 2008. Igor's
78 whereabouts at the time of this document's creation are unknown,
79 but the current authors do hope he is well. We're assuming (or
80 hoping) that life did what life does and made continuing untenable.
82 @node Passing the torch
83 @section Passing the torch
85 In 2014 Martin Albrecht wanted to patch a bug in the PyME code and
86 discovered the absence of Igor. Following a discussion on the PyME
87 mailing list he became the new maintainer for PyME, releasing
88 version 0.9.0 in May of that year. He remains the maintainer of
89 the original PyME release in Python 2.6 and 2.7 (available via
92 @node Coming full circle
93 @section Coming full circle
95 In 2015 Ben McGinnes approached Martin about a Python 3 version,
96 while investigating how complex a task this would be the task ended
97 up being completed. A subsequent discussion with Werner Koch led
98 to the decision to fold the Python 3 port back into the original
99 GPGME release in the languages subdirectory for non-C bindings
100 under the module name of @samp{pyme3}.
102 In 2016 this PyME module was integrated back into the GPGME project
103 by Justus Winter. During the course of this work Justus adjusted
104 the port to restore limited support for Python 2, but not as many
105 minor point releases as the original PyME package supports. During
106 the course of this integration the package was renamed to more
107 accurately reflect its status as a component of GPGME. The @samp{pyme3}
108 module was renamed to @samp{gpg} and adopted by the upstream GnuPG team.
110 In 2017 Justus departed G10code and the GnuPG team. Following this
111 Ben returned to maintain of gpgme Python bindings and continue
112 building them from that point.
114 @node Relics of the past
115 @chapter Relics of the past
117 There are a few things, in addition to code specific factors, such as
118 SWIG itself, which are worth noting here.
121 * The Annoyances of Git::
122 * The Perils of PyPI::
125 @node The Annoyances of Git
126 @section The Annoyances of Git
128 As anyone who has ever worked with git knows, submodules are
129 horrible way to deal with pretty much anything. In the interests
130 of avoiding migraines, that was skipped with addition of the PyME
133 Instead the files were added to a subdirectory of the @samp{lang/}
134 directory, along with a copy of the entire git log up to that point
135 as a separate file within the @samp{lang/python/docs/} directory.@footnote{The entire PyME git log and other preceding VCS logs are
136 located in the @samp{gpgme/lang/python/docs/old-commits.log} file.}
137 As the log for PyME is nearly 100KB and the log for GPGME is
138 approximately 1MB, this would cause considerable bloat, as well as
139 some confusion, should the two be merged.
141 Hence the unfortunate, but necessary, step to simply move the
142 files. A regular repository version has been maintained should it
143 be possible to implement this better in the future.
145 @node The Perils of PyPI
146 @section The Perils of PyPI
148 The early port of the Python 2 @samp{pyme} module as @samp{pyme3} was never
149 added to PyPI while the focus remained on development and testing
150 during 2015 and early 2016. Later in 2016, however, when Justus
151 completed his major integration work and subsequently renamed the
152 module from @samp{pyme3} to @samp{gpg}, some prior releases were also
153 provided through PyPI.
155 Since these bindings require a matching release of the GPGME
156 libraries in order to function, it was determined that there was
157 little benefit in also providing a copy through PyPI since anyone
158 obtaining the GPGME source code would obtain the Python bindings
159 source code at the same time. Whereas there was the potential to
160 sew confusion amongst Python users installing the module from PyPI,
161 only to discover that without the relevant C files, header files or
162 SWIG compiled binaries, the Python module did them little good.
164 There are only two files on PyPI which might turn up in a search
165 for this module or a sample of its content:
169 gpg (1.8.0) - Python bindings for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
171 pyme (0.9.0) - Python support for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
175 * GPG 1·8·0 - Python bindings for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library::
176 * PyME 0·9·0 - Python support for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library::
179 @node GPG 1·8·0 - Python bindings for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
180 @subsection GPG 1·8·0 - Python bindings for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
182 This is the most recent version to reach PyPI and is the version
183 of the official Pyhon bindings which shipped with GPGME 1.8.0. If
184 you have GPGME 1.8.0 installed and @emph{only} 1.8.0 installed, then it
185 is probably safe to use this copy from PyPI.
187 As there have been a lot of changes since the release of GPGME
188 1.8.0, the GnuPG Project recommends not using this version of the
189 module and instead installing the current version of GPGME along
190 with the Python bindings included with that package.
192 @node PyME 0·9·0 - Python support for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
193 @subsection PyME 0·9·0 - Python support for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
195 This is the last release of the PyME bindings maintained by Martin
196 Albrecht and is only compatible with Python 2, it will not work
197 with Python 3. This is the version of the software from which the
198 port from Python 2 to Python 3 code was made in 2015.
200 Users of the more recent Python bindings will recognise numerous
201 points of similarity, but also significant differences. It is
202 likely that the more recent official bindings will feel "more
205 For those using Python 2, there is essentially no harm in using
206 this module, but it may lack a number of more recent features