Re: Splitting CDs.
Put reply back on the list at Gerhads request..
On 14-Nov-1998, Gerhard Poul <gp@atnet.at> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> > What is better is to develop mechanisms for describing a generic layout
> > of a CD and a set of CDs so that:
>
> think that's really good.. And that's why there is a standard. If anyone can
> place packages where he wants and place them into a big file to tell the
> programs where to find these wouldn't be very funny... because you'll have
> to often swap the discs...
The "official" CD should dictate a particular layout of packages, I agree
with this idea.
But I wouldn't call this a standard. The standard should tell us how
to organize *any* Debian CD so that the installation tools can find
each package.
If we want to make an official CD, it would be a particular
organization of packages which is agreed upon by the developers involved
as being "good enough". This would mean not too many discs swaps,
and useful programs all on the first CD, that kind of thing.
But the CD standard should not stop someone creating "Debian for
Scientists" which has a different set of packages on the CDs.
And it should be flexible enough that we can have Debian 2.2, 3.0,
etc using exactly the same standard, just with a different "official"
CD layout depending on how we want to organize things.
> > - installation tools know which disk where each package is
>
> Yes... And that's why there is a Package.cd.gz on every cd
Yep. That's fine, except it would be nicer to allow multiple packages
files.
That means you can take an exisiting "official" CD and add a
mypackage.cd.gz and a few extra packages.
>
> > - installation tools can add or remove a CD or CD
> > set at a time from package databases
>
> ok
>
> > - vendor add-on CDs are completely possible
>
> hmmm... no.. that's not possible in the current standard...
>
> > - ftp/http sites can use the same techniques and tools
>
> no... don't think that you can call in Germany and ask the ftp administrator
> to insert cd 3 in cdrom drive #432 :)))
>
> Maybe I missed something... please explain what you mean in more detail for
> me :))
It should be possible to describe an FTP or HTTP site using the same
description files. So instead of saying something like:
/dev/cdrom
Found CD: Debian 2.1 CD 3
Package sets on this CD:
contrib Programs from the contrib section
science Extra Science programs
Want to add all these package sets to the database? (Y/n)
it would say
ftp://ftp.foo.bar.com:/pub/debian/slink
Found site: Official Debian Mirror
Package sets on this site:
main Main Debian distribution
contrib Programs from the contrib setion
non-free Programs from the non-free setion
Want to add all these package sets to the database? (Y/n)
--
Because I dislike being quoted I lie almost constantly when talking
about my work.
-- Terry Gilliam
Tyson Dowd <tyson@tyse.net> http://tyse.net/
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