Re: [custom] Debian Enterprise - a Custom Debian Distribution
On 2 Dec 2003, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
> - debconf package configurations (with "enterprise" defaults)
To me this is still the largest hurdle, having to work around packages
that don't yet use debconf, and not easily being able to take a debconf
snapshot and apply it to another host. Being able to do a Noninteractive
install of every package in Debian, pre-seeding debconf, or even a
separate Debian "registry" if debconf isn't meant to work like this, so
you could replicate a system 100% accurately. Even being able to apply
a new debconf/registry profile and then asking all packages to
reconfigure, that would be impressive.
Then it's just a matter of customising anything not handled completely
by debconf with, if you will, flavour-postinst etc. in a metapackage or
udeb or flavour/class definition. Flavours could consist only of Debian
packages from the archive, plus this freely shared metapackage. Perhaps
this could even replace the task system eventually, including postinst
commands etc. All of the value adding that flavours can provide will be
in that last stage, modifying the default configuration, adding pretty
interfaces or whatever.. Maybe the terms I've used are incorrect, I'm
only vaguely familiar with metapackages/udeb etc. but you get the idea.
Flavours simply become a wrapper or d-i hook performed after package
installation, to utilise and remain 100% Debian. Perhaps the flavour
definition is hosted in the archive and policy compliant, perhaps not.
Building live CDs and non-interactive installs are relatively
straightforward, but will remain a hack and a maintainer nightmare until
the infrastructure enables and supports them imho.
Niall Young Chime Communications Pty Ltd
niall@chime.net.au Level 6, 263 Adelaide Terrace
Ph: (+61) 08 9213 1330 / 0408 192 797 Perth, Western Australia 6000
"Are you a parent who would like to involve your kids in an iiNsanity
event?"
-- Jodie Evans, Mar 2003
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