[ubuntu-art] firefox-themes-ubuntu FTBFS - can anyone help ?

[Ian Jackson]

My automated package tester reports at
 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox-themes-ubuntu/+bug/127200
that firefox-themes-ubuntu does not build.

This seems to be because the artwork processing it uses was written to
assume the unpacked rather than packed arrangement of the firefox
chrome.

The relevant code was originally written by Frank Schoep; it is
written in PHP.  I wrapped it up in the Debian-style packaging but
haven't dealt with the PHP code itself.

(a) Is it intended that our firefox is now built with packed chrome ?
    The chrome packing setup seems intended for Windows where opening
    files is expensive and where there is no proper packaging system,
    and it doesn't seem to me that it's right for Ubuntu.  I haven't
    done any tests but I would expect the performance of the unpacked
    chrome to be superior.  Certainly the debuggability and general
    manageability is superior.

(b) If we think this is wrong, can we sensibly change it in our
    firefox at this point in the release cycle ?

(c) In the absence of a change to firefox, is anyone here able and
    willing to help fix this FTBFS bug by making the PHP extract the
    relevant archives ?  I haven't looked at the relevant PHP code
    myself at all.  If necessary I can probably fix it but my approach
    might well be suboptimal, given my lack of familiarity with PHP or
    the existing arrangements.

Thanks,
Ian.