[Paraview-developers] ParaView builds, git and versions

[Scott, W Alan]

I have two concerns with ParaView builds for release - figuring out what version of ParaView we are building, and where we get the dependent packages.

Here at Sandia, we have an issue whenever ParaView tries to pull any source code from the internet.  This occurs for the following reasons.
*       ParaView itself has two scenarios:
o       We have some systems that can see the internet, and some that cannot.  These two have to connect together as client/server.  Thus, both have to be built from the same source code, with the same version numbers, and one can't think it is a specific git version and the other be blind.  Both have to think they are just some version number of ParaView.
o       We are running on a platform (client and server) that cannot see the internet, and may not even have connectivity to the rest of our network.  ParaView client and server still needs to build, with me (or the CMakeLists.txt, etc) telling it what version it is building.
*       For other "stuff", such as Mesa, Python, Qt, etc, we need the option to not have the build look at, and pull, copies of these datasets.   Once again, the usecase is where we are building for a system that is not connected to the internet - or any other part of the network.  This must work standalone.

If I were king, we would do the following with ParaView:
*       Allow me to tell ParaView what version we are building - turning off looking at Kitware for the Git version.
*       On dependent packages:
o       If the package exists, use it.  Don't look at the internet.
o       If the package doesn't exist, try to find it from the system.  MPI will often happen this way.
o       If the package isn't on the system, go get it.
*       On the superbuild, Kitware would make sure that ParaView built from scratch on a client - and server - setup that was disconnected from the internet.

For some reason, I am thinking that Utkarsh convinced me that our current .paraview.version flag isn't working, but I cannot for the life of me remember why.  Also, for all I know, we are going this direction.  I just didn't want to be surprised and wish I had spoken up.

There is my $0.02.

Alan

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W. Alan Scott
ParaView Support Manager

GAITS
Sandia National Laboratories, MS 0822
Org 9326 - Building 880 A1-C
(505) 284-0932   FAX (505) 284-5619
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