Re: smarter way to differ architectures needed?
On Sat, 3 Mar 2001, Marcus Brinkmann wrote:
****
> The problem with a new header is that you can't keep backwards
> compatibility. In the current situation, having a new field value and using
> an old tool will probably return an error (it should ;). With the Platform
> field, old tools will not notice that they encounter a case they can't
> understand correctly. Maybe we decide that this is not something to care
> about.
>
> However, I have not thought this through. It's an interesting suggestion.
>
The problem as I see it is that we are trying to solve a two dimensional
problem with one dimensional thinking. It won't work in the long run.
I visualise a solution as a chart with Architectures along the x-axis and
Platforms along the y-axis. The position of a particular package on the
chart would be specified by the entries in the Architecture: and Platform:
fields. While there are only two fsf platforms at the moment, the Hurd
and Linux, I can foresee the possibility of the fsf starting another
project in ten years time, for example, ISOS (insanely Simple Operating
System). If ISOS was not unix based then all the present hacks and
work-arounds would be totally useless. Please treat ISOS as an extreme
hypothetical example.
The Debian packaging system is potentially far more encompassing than most
Linux-centric people realise.
The transition to including Platform: in the control file is a real
problem. I would suggest that the tools that use the control file be
upgraded to read Platform:, and if this was not found, then default to
"Platform: linux". The next step would be for Maintainers to to include
Platform: in their controls as they upgrade their packages.
Another related issue is the naming of the packages themselves. I shudder
to think of the problems a partial mirror would face if it only mirrored
the Hurd (binary and source) and there were multiple Hurd architectures.
There is some urgency to resolve this and not just because I produce CDs.
I suspect that some time in the next twelve months we will want to start
planning the first production release of the Hurd (1.0).
Phil.
-
Philip Charles; 39a Paterson St., Dunedin, New Zealand; +64 3 4882818
Mobile 025 267 9420. I sell GNU/Linux CDs. See http://www.copyleft.co.nz
philipc@copyleft.co.nz - prefered. philipc@debian.org
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