Re: Package management (was Re: GNUstep repository)

[Tim Harrison]

On Monday, Jan 6, 2003, at 03:18 Canada/Eastern, Stefan Urbanek wrote:

> What do you think about that 'gnutella'-like distributed package 
> network?

I could see benefit in it.  Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of a week 
of 12h shifts, so I haven't had time to think more on it.  I'll have a 
ponder this weekend, though.

> I see. So package instaled into users home directory will be 
> registered into users package database as well? (I mean, not into 
> central database). Similar for Local or Developer packages. If yes, 
> there should be more package maintainers on one system and it has an 
> advantage on larger servers. For example Developer domain maintainer 
> will not have to contact root for installing developer tools.

Well, honestly, I don't have an answer for this.  Eric would be the 
best person to answer questions about how the package database would 
work.

> What about having PackageManager server (object)?

We're definitely working on something of this nature. :)

> Moreover as I was speaking about automated application instalation on 
> service demand, this openas another kind of dependencies. Not simple 
> package dependencies, but some kind of abstract dependencies (debian 
> has kind of those). Like 'package with Mail object' or 'package with 
> this specific service'.

Well, the LSPM methods could be extended without any difficulty at all. 
 And, I'm sure Eric wouldn't mind feedback on features to be included 
with the official release.

> If LSPM is ready enough for testing or simple tasks, I thing it should 
> be released and anounced to make it visible.

Well, it is available, but the only announcement (that I recall) was on 
the LinuxSTEP-General mailing list.

We really haven't "officially" announced anything of the LinuxSTEP 
project.  We were planning on holding off until 0.2.5 was ready (which 
is taking time, but I'd rather we spent more time making sure it's 
going to work, than rushing out something that's just plain broken -- 
like all previous releases of LinuxSTEP thus far ;)).

> If there is a simle (easy to use) package manager, I think it should 
> be integrated somehow into the gnustep and supported with some 
> 'bootstrap' script to make gnustep installation easier. Many people 
> who are curious about gnustep are giving it up right at the 
> installation, because it is too complicated  for not very experienced 
> user.

Well, I don't think LSPM would bootstrap properly without GNUstep being 
installed. :)  It's a very chicken/egg kind of situation.  However, of 
course, LSPM only uses standard utilities (like tar and gzip/bzip2), so 
you can certainly manipulate the packages without having GNUstep 
installed.



Tim Harrison
tim@linuxstep.org
http://www.linuxstep.org/