Re: RPM (Was Re: Deity project schedule problems)
Hi,
>>"Christoph" == Christoph Lameter <clameter@miriam.fuller.edu> writes:
Christoph> I have the feeling that the way dpkg is programmed makes it
Christoph> not maintainable. Also it is full of unnecessary
Christoph> complicated schemes which make it difficult to understand
Christoph> and develop further. This also leads to frequent problems
Christoph> with maintainers understanding what dpkg does and
Christoph> consequently they produce buggy packages (the Debian
Christoph> Project is really famous for unresolved or screwed up
Christoph> dependencies that a normal mortal Linux hacker cannot
Christoph> understand)
I really do not have this problem from readin dpkg code. Also,
normal, mortal, and hacker should probably not be used in the same
sentence.
Christoph> Unecessary complexities include predependencies, mind
Christoph> boggling multiple kinds of dependencies, complex invocation
Christoph> of maintainer scripts.
Without those, we would not be able to achive dependency
tracking, and, ultimately, modular upgradeability. Not everyone need
develop dpkg. People who do not understand the design definitely
should not. By this logic, distributed and parallel programming
should never be attempted (that's where I earn my bread and butter).
Christoph> Switching to RPM and putting the necessary additional
Christoph> functionality into it would get rid of the whole baggage we
Christoph> have to carry around now.
For you it is baggage, for some of us, it is added
functionality.
Christoph> Plus it would get us out of the corner we have backed into
Christoph> and help us to rejoin the mainstrem linux
Christoph> hackers.
Corner? mainstream linux hackers? real programmers? what do
mainstream linux hackers do? Anyway, if this is painting oneself into
a corner of excellence, I like it.
Christoph> Potentially this will result in more maintainers
Christoph> and thus a better distribution.
More maintainers is not necessarily better, espescially if
these are people scared by the complexity of Debian.
Christoph> RedHat is quite easy to compete with I would think.
Question is, why do we want to? they have their place in the
scheme of things, as do we.
Christoph> I have the impression that chaos is reigning in the RPM
Christoph> world. Our structure would help bring stability into that
Christoph> situation.
I think we will merely exacerbate the chaos. Why do you think
people will accept Debian's RPM as opposed to Red Hats RPM?
manoj
--
Forever floats that standard sheet! Where breathes the foe that falls
before us, With freedom's soil beneath our feet, And Freedom's banner
streaming o'er us. -- Joseph Rodman Drake
Manoj Srivastava <url:mailto:srivasta@acm.org>
Mobile, Alabama USA <url:http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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