Re: How a packaging system works
Hi,
>>"David" == David Maslen <david@binary.net.au> writes:
David> I've been thinking about packaging systems. The only problem I have
David> with dpkg is that it isn't the format everyone uses.
The minute other people switch to dpkg, we could all be using
the same format ;-)
David> Would it be possible to have a packaging system that was a big set of
David> rules about where to put things and how to compile things. So if for
David> example I want to compile enlightenment, I download the e.tar.gz file,
David> and type deb-make e.tar.gz, this runs a bunch of rules maintained by a
David> maintainer, to check it is the correct archive, inform me of dependacy
David> issues, such as libraries I may need to install first, then apply a
David> patch and run me though a compilation. If the tar file contained
David> binaries they would be copied to their policy defined file locations
David> and the package management database updated.
This is trivial, if the stuff maintained by a maintainer
already exists (and assuming things haven't changed since the
maintainer created the set of rules and all).
It would be a 5 line shell script ;-)
What you are looking for is encapsulated in the way Debian
does source packages. We store a .tar.gz file, and a diff.gxz file,
and a .dsc file that basically has the names and MD5sums of the
tar.gz file and diff.gz file.
dpkg -x unpacks the tar.gz file, and applies the patches.
%cd <file>; ./debian/rules binary; and you are in business.
dpkg-source already has all the relevant bits of code. Just
grab the e.diff.gz file from teh debian ftp archive, and have at it.
The problem is that the set of rules and all (the diff.gz)
shall get stale at each upstream version, which may or may not have
an affect on the quality of the .deb produced.
David> I have used deb-make and think it's extreemly easy and a great
David> tool. This idea is just a future vision, that perhaps would make
David> Debian more flexable and able to coexits more easily with the other
David> linux distributions.
Erm. Well, some of us do not quite share your enthusiam about
helper packages; preferring the ease, flexibility and control of hand
crafting packages, but that is another story.
manoj
--
"Unlike most net.puritans, however, I feel that what OTHER consenting
computers do in the privacy of their own phone connections is their
own business." John Woods, jfw@eddie.mit.edu
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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