Re: XML RedHat and Debian Package Creation

[Oscar Levi <elf@buici.com>]

On Sun, Jan 16, 2000 at 05:07:32AM +0100, Wichert Akkerman wrote:
> Previously Andrew Dvorak wrote:
> > The general idea is that a file containing XML would be used to input 
> > all of the options needed to create a simple package.  Then, a program, 
> > which has yet to be written, would interpret the XML and create the 
> > necessary files to create either a RedHat or Debian or other package.  
> > I realize that there may be some potential problems, but this may prove 
> > to be a valuable tool.
> 
> The idea has come up before, but nobody has implemented it. It won't
> work for library packages, packages that need an init-script or
> something else in which Debian differs from Red Hat. But for a lot of
> packages it should be doable.

There is no technical barrier to implementing an XML format that
permits different setup scripts for each kind of system.  While it
might require some extra work for each system, the XML file could code
for each:

  <scripts>
    <preinstall system=Debian>
    ...
    </preinstall>
    <preinstall system=RedHat>
    ...
    <preinstall>
  </scripts>