Re: YaST2 for Debian (aka nYaST)
Am Montag, 22. November 2004 12.32 schrieb Rumen Krasstev:
Morning once again
BTW: You don't have to CC: me, I'm on the list.
> > > I'm doing big efforts last 6 months (since SuSe v 9.1 - I had
> > > information for future gpl-ing of yast) to do this - port Yast2 for
> > > Debian. I'm playing with the code these last months and I can give you
> > > some advices - it's appear to be not so trivial task :-/
> >
> > Very interesting and realistiv. But nonetheless do you think too that
> > it's possible to port it, am I right?
>
> Yes, definitely it is possible.. Just I'm starting to think that YaST is
> not only complex system for administration and configuration - it is most
> importrant part of the core of the system the we call SuSe Linux. Why? When
> I digging into the code more and more times it appears that in the begging
> (before 7 years) YaST was planned as multiplatform modular system, which is
> upgraded meanwhile to specific SuSe problems. That's why in so many places
> in the code there is relations (unnecessary, for me) to specific SuSe tools
> and issues... For instance the package manager - the core system depends of
> it, which is ridiculous for me - the rpm system is everywhere :-/
> So in general - we trying to port SuSe to Debian - that's it
Ouu, that's an interesting task ;-)).
> :-)))))))))) The scissors will play really serious if we want to succeed
> :-))))
> :
> > Another question: Is there already source code which we can see?
>
> I guess you would be happy of german mirror so here you are:
> http://www.suse.de/de/private/download/ftp/inland.html
> your right directory is /i386/9.2/suse/src/ (for example)...
Oh, we missunderstood. I meant the code you changed (see below). I already
downloaded the source code but I'm not the best developer ;-).
> After that it's going more and more hard.. I'll write these days deep
> documentation how to dial with this madness :-))))))
Good to hear.
> > > 1. Yast2 don't even wish to compile under Debian - there are to many
> > > dependencies, some of them not available to Debian, such as rpm 4.1.1
> > > (in unstable it's 4.0.4) - rpm is a complex program and don't want to
> > > compile too.. Dependencies between packages are so bad, that one can
> > > compile/port only packages with documentations and some basic stuff.
> > > I've some progress in this but I can't still compile the hole yast :(((
> >
> > Ok. Is your code publicly accessible?
>
> There is no code... yet :((( The first step is to compile the YaST core -
> so the major problem (as I mentioned before) is rpm 4.1.1 -
> now I'm trying to lie him that 4.04 (from unstable) is enough useful - so
> I'm patching the automake/autoconf scripts, but for now without good result
> :-/ Another (much better) solution is to remove all the code which require
> rpm - that is much more harder work and because I'm doing this in my free
> time (which is not so much - my job just suck my out :( I chose the easier
> solution - if the maintainer of Debian's "rpm" package (Anibal Monsalve
> Salazar) release 4.1.1 we have big chances to pass this step... My biggest
> problem is... free time :((((
Did you get in contact with Anibal?
And wouldn't it be easier (in a long way) to change the rpm stuff to dpkg/apt
stuff as you said yourself?
Is it worth to spend the time with rpm in your opinion?
> > > 2. Even with successfully compilation it's impossible to use this
> > > version of Yast in Debian - there are too many differences between SuSe
> > > and Debian in architectural level. For example almost all
> > > configurations in YaST2 are made in directory sysconfig which is not
> > > LSB1/2 compatible, furthermore there are too many config files with
> > > custom names, like timezone, firewall, etc. So in general using this
> > > version of Yast will make your system unpredictable :(
> >
> > Ok. So we have to make huge modifications.
>
> Indeed.. The problem is these modifications are related to the core - so
> only experienced C/C++ developers can manage these (I can but with this
> tempo I'll finish after year :(
I think the other two developers (Jaldhar and Ramon) are good C/C++
programmer.
> > > 3. Fortunatly the guys in SuSe made Yast (technologically) very mature
> > > - it's totally modular and have 3 different independent levels (layers)
> > > - representative (QT, curses and the new one GTK+), module (ex:
> > > firewall, proxy, dns server, samba, etc.) and configuration files..
> > > This is a long story but i could tell you in general how it works - the
> > > modules are written in abstract custom (4th level) language - something
> > > between C and Prolog (for example) - there is a parser which translate
> > > this language to C.. For example you want a window and type
> > > window.open(parameters) and it translate it to GTK or curses or QT API
> > > in C.. Every checkbox, listbox, button and so on is described like
> > > this.. All places that needs name of file/directory is replaced by
> > > abstract global variable, which is described in separated file (.scp) -
> > > so it should be enough to edit these .scp to be compliant with Debian
> > > for every module and probably after many tests/debugs it will work..
> > > ...
> >
> > Very interesting.
>
> Note, that every not so simple module (for instance mail server) requires
> specific knowledge - I mean for some things only experienced administrators
> (not developers like me) can tell us where is the "under_water_stones"...
> For example Debian's maintainer of "squid" can help us so much with porting
> the YaST's "squid" module..
IC, but these are problems for the future. AIUY we should now concentrate on
the core. Let's get to compile YaST2.
> > > There is other problems, but I described only majors - the compilation
> > > and the transformation of the .scp
> > > So.. If somebody wants to helps me I can write him deep explanation how
> > > it works (it is very complex and big system believe me)..
> >
> > I think we are interesting and it would be a pleasure for us if you could
> > help us. So we are really interested in a deeper explanation.
>
> I will - it is my first priority open source project that, I spend my
> free time, but we need much more stronger organisation if we want to
> finish as soon as possible - for instance web site (even simple is
> enough), mail list, bug tracker, cvs server, etc.. Of course there is
> SourceForge - but I'm not sure will it be enough?
IC, that's why I wanted to make an alioth project. Is it ok for you if I set
up a project on alioth with all the needed thinks (mailinglist, cvs server,
etc.)?
> > > In this meaning I thing for this project a team of 3-4 people and 6-9
> > > months probably will be enough...
> >
> > Ok. We are 3-4 persons and with a goal in sight YaST2 will become
> > reality.
>
> Yeah, this give me a new hope :-)))))))))
Nice to hear ;-)
> Cheers
> Rumen
thx
Mario
PS: Did you get in contact with some people of Novell? See my other mail.
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