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Re: Diety UI draft



SirDibos wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 23 Jul 1997, Richard Braakman wrote:
> 
> > I think that this may itself be a problem.  I have found that the Packages
> > file is my main use of bandwidth when I access my local Debian mirror.
> > During a regular scan for updates, simply checking the packages available
> > from all sources may be more costly than the total size of the packages
> > actually chosen for installation.

Perhaps I mistated myself.  I wasn't trying to say that you should
include every known debian mirror in your source list, rather that
your source list will likely contain multiple sources of Packages
file (not necessarily all from ftp).  I suspect many source lists
will contain ftp/local mirror/cdrom sources of the debian hierarchy.
One of those hierarchies is bound to have most if not all packages
on your system unless it is indeed obsolete.  Two examples of this
just below.

But I can not stress this enough.  There is no long term harm if a
package is mistakenly shown to be obsolete.  The next time, if
whatever problem caused this to happen, is fixed, it will not be
shown as obsolete anymore.

Lets look at two examples:

1) Most of your packages are marked as obsolete.

  It is doubtful so many packages were rendered obsolete overnight.

  a) The Debian hierarchy has crashed and burned on one or more
     mirrors on your source list. i.e. Most of the packages have
     been removed from these mirrors. (unlikely)
  b) You alternate between several very specific source lists
     each of which do not cover the entire set of packages on
     your system.  A single unified source list (possibly with
     redundant Packages lists) will solve this problem.


2) One or two packages are marked obsolete.

  a) You installed an unknown local package and then deleted the
     original deb.  But since you presumably built, then installed,
     then removed thi package, you will know this.
  b) You downloaded an entirely new package from a developers
     homepage (no other version of this package on any debian mirror
     yet), then installed it, but didn't leave this deb file in your
     local directory.  Again, since you did this manually, presumably
     you will know this package is not obsolete.
  c) The package was mistakenly deleted on Master.  This is unlikely.
  d) The package truely was obsolete.


> Agreed.  As it is now, I only download the Packages file for the hamm/
> distro.

And you can still continue to do so.  However, if your source list is
so restricted, any packages you installed outside of hamm will be
marked as obsolete.  I suspect there are few of those.  (or do you
exclude contrib, non-free, and non-us from hamm?)

> Could some "time-stamp" be included, so if a Packages file hasnt been
> updated since the last "fetching", it wont be redownloaded?  Also, this
> "Packages" busines...  How can I have more than one?  Could we have it
> named Packages-1.3, Packages-1.2, Packages-devel, so it matches the
> various versions of debian?

Various methods of time-stamping Packages info are indeed being talked 
about.  I too hate having to download Packages files over and over again
if they haven't changed.

I'm not sure I understand your question about multiple Packages files
though.  Surely every debian hierarchy only has one Packages file.
Whatever caching mechanism is used will have to keep this info seperate.

> I would really like to be able to downgrade easily.  This might fix a
> small problem I have.

Like I said in a previous post, check out the status tabbed window.
There is a button there that allows you to choose from other available
versions of the package available from your source list.

    http://www.verisim.com/~behanw/deity/deity-ui_0.10.html#tab_status

> Oh!  1 more thing.  Is there an easy way to "reinstall" a package?  I
> would like to be able to "hilight" a package, then hit some button, (R?)
> then it would download and "reinstall" the package for me from scratch.

Again, check the status tabbed window.  There is a "reinstall" checkbox
there.


I hope these answer your questions,

Behan

-- 
Behan Webster     mailto:behanw@verisim.com
+1-613-224-7547   http://www.verisim.com/


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