Re: Non-free, Contrib and CDs (Was Re: GNU Win32? Not anymore.)
On Mon, 14 Jul 1997, Lalo Martins wrote:
> Maybe starting with hamm a better categorization could be used. Like:
>
> -Non-US (already exists)
> -No-profit (can't be sold for profit)
> -No-sell (can't be sold even for cost)
> -Rest-use (restricted use)*
> -Stub (installers - these can always be sold as they're made by us)*
-Installs (better name?)
-Instalrs (better name?)
> -Depprobl (free stuff that depends on non-free stuff, like motif apps)*
-Dep-prob (better name?)
> This makes things clearer for admins and CD vendors. Stuff marked with a *
> would go into official CDs.
>
> Maybe I overdid it, or maybe the names are lamish... but the suggestion is
> open. I really think it's important.
This sounds like a big improvement over "non-free" and "contrib".
Also, I've seen complaints that dselect couldn't handle installing
some areas (contrib? non-US?). I think I've also seen complaints
that there were problems uploading non-US packages. Perhaps it would
be useful to couple a redo of "non-free" and "contrib" with regularization
of the directory structure on ftp sites and their expected locations on
user systems. Perhaps something like the following:
On a Debian FTP site or mirror (US and Non-US):
Debian-X.Y --> codename
codename/
Debian-X.Y/ # main distribution
Non-US/ # would be empty, or README only, in U.S.
No-profit/ # no resale for profit
... # the rest of the stuff from above
The subdirs below codename/ would all have a consistent structure
(source, doc, binary-{arch}, etc).
Users (in or out of the U.S.) could retrieve the Non-US stuff
from non-US mirrors. Upload tools could upload to a non-US
distribution site (from non-US maintainers, but using the same
upload tools they use for mainline packages)
Also, user systems might have a Local directory for packages
not obtained from Debian distribution sites (e.g., locally
built packages), and an Updates directory for packages
updating those on the system's Debian CDROM. Something like:
On a user's local system:
/whatever/whatever/
Debian-X.Y/
Debian-X.Y --> /cdrom/Debian-X.Y/Debian-X.Y
Rest-use --> /cdrom/Debian-X.Y/Debian-X.Y/Rest-use
...
Local/
source/
binary-i386/
...
Updates/ # downloaded updates, superseding those from cdrom
Debian-X.Y/
...
A useful and meaningful partitioning of packages not in the mainline
distribution. Consistent location and structuring of subdirs
containing package "areas". Structuring to accommodate addition
of Local packages on a user system. Package upload and package
maintenance tools usable for all package "areas". Friendly to
the addition/deletion of package "areas". Able to deal with
a Debian CDROM supplemented by selectively-downloaded update
packages.
This is off the top of my head, and could no doubt stand improvement.
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