Package format comparison

[Barry deFreese]

   Here is an interesting table on package formats I found.  I hope
   this e-mail isn't coming across as HTML.. :-(



   Package format comparison table.

feature         deb     rpm     tgz     slp
Security, authentication, and verification 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec1>
PGP-signed packages 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec1_q1> 	no 	yes 
no 	no
checksums 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec1_q2> 	yes 
yes 	no 	no
permissions, owners, etc 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec1_q3> 	yes 
yes 	yes 	yes
Usability by standard unix tools 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec2>
recognizable by file 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec2_q1> 	yes [2] 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot2> 	yes 	no 	no
unpackable by standard tools 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec2_q2> 	yes 	no 
yes 	yes [7] <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot7>
metadata accessible by standard tools 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec2_q3> 	yes 	no 
N/A 	no
creatable by standard tools 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec2_q4> 	no 	no 
yes 	no
Metadata <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6>
dependencies 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q1> 	yes 
yes 	no 	yes
recommendations 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q2> 	yes 	no 
no 	no
suggestions 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q3> 	yes 	no 
no 	no
conflicts 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q4> 	yes 
yes 	no 	yes
virtual packages and provides 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q5> 	yes 
yes 	no 	??
versioned dependencies and conflicts 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q6> 	yes 
yes 	no 	??
complex boolean dependencies 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q7> 	yes 	no [5] 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot5> 	no 	no
file dependencies 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q8> 	no 	yes 
no 	no
copyright <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q9> 
no [6] <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot6> 	yes 
no 	yes
grouping 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q10> 	yes 
yes 	no 	yes
priority 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec6_q11> 	yes 
no 	no 	yes
Special files <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec3>
config files 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec3_q1> 	yes 
yes 	no 	yes
documentation files 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec3_q2> 	no 	yes 
no 	no
Package programs <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4>
binary programs allowed 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q1> 	yes 	no 
?? 	yes
program output allowed 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q2> 	yes 	no 
(??) 	?? 	??
interactive programs allowed 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q3> 	yes 	no 
?? 	??
pre-install program 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q4> 	yes 	yes 
no [1] <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot1> 	no
post-install program 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q5> 	yes 
yes 	yes 	yes
pre-remove program 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q6> 	yes 	yes 
no [1] <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot1> 	no
post-remove program 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q7> 	yes 
yes 	yes 	no
verify program 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q8> 	no 	yes 
no 	no
triggers <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec4_q9> 
no 	yes 	no 	no
Scalability <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec5>
no hard-coded limits 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec5_q1> 	yes 	yes 
[3] <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot3> 	yes 	no
new metadata 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec5_q2> 	yes 	yes 
[4] <http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#foot4> 	N/A 	no
new section 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec5_q3> 	yes 	no 
no 	no
format versions 
<http://debian-br.sourceforge.net/txt/alien.html#d_sec5_q4> 	yes 
yes 	no 	yes

	-- 
Barry deFreese
Debian 3.0r1 "Woody"
GNU/Hurd
Registered Linux "Newbie" #302256 - Hurd H4XX0r wannabe

"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving
to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe
trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is
winning." Rich Cook.