Re: Proposal (was: should we split up the Packages file in main (for woody))

[Jacob Kuntz <jpk@cape.com>]

Christian Hammers (ch@lathspell.westend.com) wrote:
> Every entry in the packages line has a MD5sum entry. Why not taking this
> as index and let apt-get ask only for new entries much like the way news 
> server check new articles against a history file.

i don't quite follow what you mean, but your post did give me an idea:

this would either need to be implimented as a CGI or as a full-blown tcp
service. someone would need to write a program that reads Packages.gz like
cucipop reads mailbox files. this program could use the string
"\n\nPackage:" as a divider between entries. here's the dialog:

client -> server "my database is up to date as of 950489026. please send me
any entries that have changed."

server -> client <sends the text of any entries that have changed>

this would require that we store timestamps in the package files, but that
shouldn't break anything.

i know that folks behind some firewalls might not be able to update this
anymore, which sucks. the other method would be to impliment this as a cgi
that gets referenced in sources.list. what do you folks think?

-- 
(jacob kuntz)                    jpk@cape.com jake@{megabite,underworld}.net
(megabite systems)     "think free speech, not free beer." (gnu foundataion)