Re: pkgsel

[Martin Wheeler <mwheeler@startext.co.uk>]

On Sun, 27 Dec 1998, Martin Schulze wrote:

> Philip Jensen wrote:

> > Anyway, does anyone know anything about pkgsel (which is a perl
script).

IIRC it is in fact a b/ash script, which uses whiptail to produce a nice
colourful menu display of varying ways of configuring your shiny new 
Debian installation.

I agree with Philip -- it's a shame to have such a nice utility disappear
following the initial install.  So, like him, I also switched to another 
VC in the middle of my install, and saved not only the pkgsel script, but
also the profiles and tasks sub-directories and their contents, as well as
the rev_task (packages to deinstall) file.  [Truth to tell, I was really
more interested in the lists of selected packages as found in the tasks
and profiles sub-directories than in the script to drive their selection.] 

The pkgsel script needs some tweaking before you can run it
standalone post-install; but as Joey says: if you've got the lists of
packages which make up a "task" or a "profile", then just run

      cat <chosen_packages_list> | dpkg --set-selection

to set your selection of desired packages so that when next you run
dselect, they will already be marked for installation.

(This is, in fact, all pkgsel does.)

> > I thought this was an excellent way of making Debian easier to install.

Agreed.
It's also a neat way to customise your own list of desired packages to
install, for whatever purpose (custom workstation; whatever).

(And, unlike dselect, it doesn't scare you witless the first time you
encounter it.)

msw
--
Martin Wheeler   -    StarTEXT, Glastonbury, Somerset, England - BA6 9PH
mwheeler@startext.co.uk                       http://www.startext.co.uk/