Re: package configuration design

[karlheg@inetarena.com (Karl M. Hegbloom)]

>>>>> "fog" == fog  <fog@irfmn.mnegri.it> writes:

    fog> 1) let's separate the user interaction from the package
    fog>    configuration.
    fog> This can be done by adding a new control file (let's call it
    fog> "questions") that asks the user about configuration
    fog> parameters and stores them in the "registry" (eh eh ;). Then
    fog> the usual scripts can retrieve the informations by the use of
    fog> your proposed command line tool (dpkg-vars).

    fog> 2) let's have a a way to have the user answer all the
    fog>    questions and
    fog> then go get a cup of coffe while dpkg installs.  This can be
    fog> done by dinstal putting all the "questions" control files in
    fog> a single distribution-wide file (just like the Packages.gz,
    fog> let's call it Questions.gz). dpkg (or, better, apt) can
    fog> extract the questions corresponding to the selected packages
    fog> and run them one after the other all before the install
    fog> really begins. That way the user can configure the system and
    fog> then go away.

 I like this idea also.  Could the "questions" format be something
 like the Linux kernel config files, and reuse the `menuconfig' and
 `xconfig' programs?  That would be a good thing, I think, because
 then any improvements made to the configuration form tool would be
 useable for both the kernel and dselect/apt.

 Hmmm.  I suppose though that `apt' can have its very own interface to
 it.