Since I am currently into the productive mood, @fsciortino @odstrcilt, I mention another issue of the code caused by problems in OMFIT. I already mentioned this here, and I think it is also mentioned in this Aurora PR.
Basically, the OMFIT utility which creates gEQDSK files is broken, following the update to Matplotlib 3.6. This issue is present and known since roughly one year (!!!), but yet not solved. Consquently, if one uses Python 3.11 and the latest Matplotlib, it is not possible to create an Aurora equilibrium starting from some experimental data (e.g. from AUG shotfiles).
IMHO this is a good example which tells why, sometimes, it might be better to be as self-consistent as possible, even at the cost of "re-inventing the wheel" a little bit :) I would suggest that some new functions might be written to create the necessary equilibrium structures for Aurora (starting from data other experimental packages such as, in the case of my interest, aug_sfutils), instead of relying on external packages, especially if they are huge (so inherently slow in solving their own issues). This would definitely make easier solving compatibility issues like the current one.
I might also assign myself as voluntary to do it, but I wanted to hear your opinion first.
EDIT: reading more thoroughly your comments here, I understand that you @odstrcilt are already well aware of this issue... so yes, I assume that you also already have an opinion about whether to possibly detach from the OMFIT ecosystem.
Since I am currently into the productive mood, @fsciortino @odstrcilt, I mention another issue of the code caused by problems in OMFIT. I already mentioned this here, and I think it is also mentioned in this Aurora PR.
Basically, the OMFIT utility which creates gEQDSK files is broken, following the update to Matplotlib 3.6. This issue is present and known since roughly one year (!!!), but yet not solved. Consquently, if one uses Python 3.11 and the latest Matplotlib, it is not possible to create an Aurora equilibrium starting from some experimental data (e.g. from AUG shotfiles).
IMHO this is a good example which tells why, sometimes, it might be better to be as self-consistent as possible, even at the cost of "re-inventing the wheel" a little bit :) I would suggest that some new functions might be written to create the necessary equilibrium structures for Aurora (starting from data other experimental packages such as, in the case of my interest, aug_sfutils), instead of relying on external packages, especially if they are huge (so inherently slow in solving their own issues). This would definitely make easier solving compatibility issues like the current one.
I might also assign myself as voluntary to do it, but I wanted to hear your opinion first.
EDIT: reading more thoroughly your comments here, I understand that you @odstrcilt are already well aware of this issue... so yes, I assume that you also already have an opinion about whether to possibly detach from the OMFIT ecosystem.