Re: How a packaging system works
Hi,
>>"David" == David Maslen <david@binary.net.au> writes:
David> So this in effect means I can, download source from the author, then
David> easily check for a diff and dsc file, rename the tar file
David> program.tar.gz.orig and away I go?
In theory. See, take package foo. It has all the documentation
in ./docvs, and all sources in ./src, and after building, it puts
stuff in ./bin. I, as a maintainers, put toget ruls and such that cd
src, make; and then thatke the binaries from ../bin and put them in
the debian package.
You can now take my diffs, and get the authors sources, and
away ou go.
Then the author decides that all these dirs are a pain, and
changes teh sources around to one dir. Ince the program has ot
changed, this may not warrant a major version change. But, BOOOM. the
rules and such for creating a binary will fail, since there is not
more src, doc, or bin subdirectories. A less drastic change may well
create a more subte error that may go unnoticed -- and remember, the
pre-compiled binary has been tested, by the maintainer, and then by
the testing group
David> That basically means I could store the sum of the debian packaging
David> info, and all the work you developers have done on a 100meg zip disk
David> doesn't it?
At the cost of the testing, and potential (possibly subtle)
incpmpatibilities between the source the maintainer used and the
source you download, yes.
David> So having a precompiled debian file is just a convenience?
David> Really what Debian has is a beautifully open method of tailoring the
David> original software authors sourcecode to a standardised, and
David> interworking system?
You are missing out on the testing and quality control parts,
but yes, to an extent. I would personally only guarantee support for
the version of upstream sources my changes were applied to.
HTH,
manoj
--
"I woudn't recommend sex, drugs, or Unix for everyone, but they work
for me." Jim Thompson (jthomp@central.sun.com), paraphrasing Hunter
S. Thompson
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
Key C7261095 fingerprint = CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-devel-request@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
Reply to: