Re: Creation of typical installations...
On Thu, 25 Sep 1997, David Engel wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 25, 1997 at 09:27:59AM -0400, Dale Scheetz wrote:
> > I would suggest that the best way to do this is with the status file.
> > Create several status files, with the correct packages selected for
> > installation, for each of the "installation catagories". During the
> > installation process, allow the installer to select one. Copy the
> > appropriate status file to /target/... . On the reboot, the installation
>
> One shortcoming of this approach is that it makes allowing overlapping
> groups much more difficult. We would have to a different status file
> for every possible combination of groups.
Well, this is probably because I have not liked the idea of overlapping
groups. The main reason I don't like it is that it maintains a degree of
confusion for the new user, in much the same way (but potentially not to
the same degree) that dselect now confuses new users with its volume of
choices.
Given our propensity for naming things in ways that confuse new users,
having a list of "groups" to choose from could be as confusing as the
current list of packages.
>
> Another shortcoming is that after initial installation, users would
> still have to manually keep their systems up to date. If the group
> info is in the control file for each package, dselect/deity could
> automatically select new packages that are added to a group.
>
One of the major complaints I had about dselect when I first used it was
the fact that it already had an idea of what it should install. Automatic
selections criterion strikes me the same way. Personally I want to know
what is being "added" to my system.
On the other hand, on an upgrade it would be a simple matter to copy the
"new" status file for your configuration into the dpkg database and then
do the update. This would incorporate the "new" packages in that group
into your system.
One of the reasons I find this approach so intersting is that, if dpkg
could be changed to be driven by the status file, instead of the archive,
then it would be a simple matter of "ordering" the status file so that
installation dependency order was correct. This would do away with all of
the installation dependency problems we have now.
Luck,
Dwarf
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