Automated package-popularity survey (was Re: We need easier installation.)

[Dirk Eddelbuettel <edd@debian.org>]

  Avery>  Hmm, it seems I compiled my kernel without BSD accounting support
  Avery> in it. 

Kernel accounting support is in by default since around 1.3.72, in other
words for a couple of years now.

  Avery> However, I think your method is based on the _frequency_ of
  Avery> calls to a program -- that's probably not really fair. 

True. But how is that different from you measuring access time? Doesn't that
do exactly the same thing?

  Avery> Oh, the first two columns are the access time and the
  Avery> attribute-changed time.  If the two are very close together, it
  Avery> probably means that dpkg has recently upgraded the package, so we
  Avery> don't really know anything about its popularity.

Well, using acct information protects against this bias too.


-- 
Linux is not only free; it is, arguably, a better operating system, offering
a degree of stability and an ability to scale up that NT cannot match.
                                             -- The Economist, Oct 3, 1998