[Popcon-developers] supporting PackageMap in Debian?
Paul Wise wrote:
> I recently noticed your posts on Planet Gentoo about PackageMap and
> smolt software popularity support.
Hello, thanks for you interest in PackageMap.
> How would distributions add support for PackageMap to their packages?
> I'm thinking in Debian/Ubuntu/etc we would just add a PackageMap field
> (initially as XSB-PackageMap until it enters policy) to the
> debian/control file, which would be sent out to apt via the Packages and
> Sources files. apt-cache, aptitude and PackageKit could then gain the
> ability to deal with PackageMap package names as well as distro-specific
> package names.
Adding such entries on distro package level would come with a few
strong drawbacks:
- People without commit access to the package tree (say of Debian)
cannot help PackageMap complete and up to date.
For instance, I am neither Debian nor Gentoo developer and
could not have committed a single entry myself.
- Progress on distro X and in total is not easily visible
or even detectable. With everything in one repository (as is)
that's easy.
- One point of the project is to get distros closer together.
Everyone working downstream would help a lot less in that regard.
I give out commit access to anyone who's a distro developer.
All I need is an SSH public key.
- There's a substition map (see database/substitution.txt atm)
to handle CPE renames and aliases. That map is not bound
to a single distro which means that if everyone works
downstream no one fixes the substitution map.
That's the core reasons coming to my mind atm. I understand it might
feel more at home extending distro packages by that information
but it would break the whole concept. It's a bit like everyone leaving
their homes to collaborate on the street. If all goes well everyone
starts feeling home at the street too. :-)
> PS: Is the smolt software popularity support based on PackageKit at all?
No. I wrote to their mailing list to get feedback from a cross-distro
community.
> PPS: standards.freedesktop.org might be a better place to put the DTDs.
Do you have a contact for me that can help me set this up?
> PPPS: thank you very very much for creating PackageMap and smolt popcon.
Great to hear you like it.
Sebastian
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