The Virtual Brain (TVB) is a framework for the simulation of the dynamics of large scale brain networks with biologically realistic connectivity, Because of it absence in the most used scientific distribution for windows, Mac and linux, It is too hard for many people in the scientific community to install and use it.
The virtual brain only distribute its packages in form of zip package or source using git and recently using python pypi, If TVB Distributes it’s package using the most used distribution method on scientific community like conda, Neurodebian etc, At the end this project I will deliver all the project deliverables.
The original proposal aimed to create all those if time allowed, Packaging TVB to Anaconda, Packaging and Distribution for NeuroDebian, Develop a Vagrantfile script for virtual machines, Develop a Script( Dockerfile ) for building a docker image on both linux and windows, and if time allowed Develop a Native launcher for TVB Distributions
The first thing i start is finalize packaging the virtual brain to Anaconda. with is a tvb-framework only left and has a lot of work to be done.
Things started pretty slowly, but each week I've managed to make improvements. By spending time reading Pull Request on Conda-forge. Because the virtual brain team are already using it, conda-forge is a github organization containing repositories of conda recipes
This is how they look now:
All the tasks I've solved are also documented in Jira.
The second tasks was Packaging and Distribution for NeuroDebian NeuroDebian Linux. NeuroDebian provides a large collection of popular neuroscience research software for the Debian operating system as well as Ubuntu and other derivatives.
As time passed, I began to gain more and more experience with the technologies I was working with and the overall TVB project as well. From that point on, things went pretty smoothly and I was finishing an upload them to mentors debianIs a place were to put debian packages to be sponsor before the became to debian repository and NeuroDebian are using it.
This is how they look now:
All the tasks I've solved are also documented in Jira.
The meaning of some words:
- ITP stands for Intend to package. These are packages which not exist in Debian yet
- RFS is a request for sponsorship
The Docker Engine and client are not included with Windows and will need to be installed and configured individually. Furthermore, the Docker Engine can accept many custom configurations. Some examples include configuring how the daemon accepts incoming requests, default networking options, and debug/log settings. On Windows,
these configurations can be specified in a configuration file or by using Windows Service control manager.
All the tasks I've solved are also documented in Jira
Docker is a tool that can package an application and its dependencies in a virtual container that can run on any Linux server. The virtual brain team recommend to use lattest version of debian64 All the tasks I've solved are also documented in Jira.
Vagrant is an open-source software product for building and maintaining portable virtual software development environments, for VirtualBox, Hyper-V, Docker containers, VMware, and AWS which try to simplify software configuration management of virtualizations in order to increase development productivity.
All the tasks I've solved are also documented in Jira.
For the last thing that remain is Develop a Native launcher for TVB Distributions with i will continue to finish it even after the deadline of Google Summer of Code.
I am delighted to say it was a very pleasant one. I think I was really lucky having Lia Domide and Paula Popa as my mentors. they did such a great job in coaching and helping me throughout the project without their support i can't make it this far. Overall I definitely enjoyed working with them. I have acquired new skills and knowledge in docker, python, bash, powershell, containers, virtual machines, And offer a new job from my local community all because of Google Summer of code. Also, the entire TVB project is very appealing to me and I intend to continue contributing and maintain all what i have done and even create new features to THE VIRTUAL BRAIN And it Mentor Organisation INCF.