Re: Dselect proposed interface.

[Bill Wohler <wohler@uluru.worldtalk.com>]

Kevin M Bealer <kmb203@psu.edu> writes:
> Also someone suggested there be an installed size parameter in the packages
> file... this probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

  This is an excellent idea.

  What would really be helpful is the following:

	Size of current package
	Total size of selected packages
	Space left

  The "Total size of selected packages" would not be absolute.  If a
  selected package is an update of an already installed package, then
  its contribution to the total size of selected packages should be
  the difference of its current size and the size of the already
  installed package (could be negative!).  This would make the "total
  size of selected packages" more representative of the chunk of disk
  that it will take up.

  Unless, of course, the update is not *replacing* the existing
  package, in which case its contribution to the total size would be
  absolute. 

  The Space left would show the estimated space left after subtracting
  the "total size of selected packages."  This would make it easy to
  play "what-if" games in the installation process.  Note that all the
  affected filesystems must be considered and displayed.  Since most
  of my GNU system is in /, it would be nice to display that on the
  main screen, and display the subordinate filesystems on a separate
  screen.  However, it should also be possible to select other
  filesystems to display on the main screen.

Bill Wohler <wohler@newt.com>   ph: +1-415-854-1857  fax: +1-415-854-3195
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