[Kexi-devel] [Bug 145429] Kexi Crash on MDB Import (Linux - Debian/Ubuntu)

[Jaroslaw Staniek]

Александр Горлов said the following, On 2008-09-15 11:18:
> Thanks
> 
> To my regret I could not compile due to unresolved package on my computer
> It is strange, but kexi-mdb-plugin requires Qt and KDE packages. From my
> point of view kexi-mdb-plugin is data mover and shall not use  Qt and KDE
> My home internet channel is very narrow and I cannot download required KDE
> packages. I use GNOME on my computer and installtion a lot of additional
> packages for one compilation is not good way. Can I complile this code
> without installed KDE  and Qt?

Александр,
Any compilation is a higher-level task than just installation. And 
dependencies are there because of sane rules. If we wanted to remove them, we 
would also need to stop callingthem "plugins", because you'd end up having to 
copy a half of Kexi and large part of Qt, have them statically linked 
(bundled) in a separate package. This is against security (you won't get 
updates if the code is forked again and again) and efficiency rules (e.g. 5 
such "plugins" could possibly and easily eat 1GB of your RAM).

Migration plugins do interfere with many subsystems:
1. filesystems and networks, thus we use Qt in order to have the source code 
platform independent (otherwise there wouldn't be a Mac and Windows version)
2. graphical dialogs integrated with underlying display subsystem (again, it's 
not only for X11 but also for Mac and Windows, to name just two)

By the way, for data migration independent of Kexi (so unfortunately without 
frendly GUI and important fixes, e.g. regarding date type handling), use 
http://mdbtools.sourceforge.net/

Please note that even if you haven't found package you need, there should be 
no need to compile. You definitely may want to request your distribution 
provider to properly handle the software installation.

That said, in Kexi 2.x (now in alpha stage) we have the data access and 
migration layer only depending on Qt. and not KDE, in development. There are 
also plans to have some components in command-line only versions. This could 
address your needs too. Also in 2.x, mdb import plugin is a part of the kexi 
source code itself.
When it's going to be available? Really, depends on interest and support 
(testing, spreading the word, analysis) from users like you. I wish we could 
count on you in this area :)

-- 
regards / pozdrawiam, Jaroslaw Staniek
  Sponsored by OpenOffice Polska (http://www.openoffice.com.pl/en) to work on
  Kexi & KOffice (http://www.kexi.pl/en, http://www.koffice.org/kexi)
  KDE Libraries for MS Windows (http://windows.kde.org)