Re: Is this really the right thing to do?

[wtopa@ix.netcom.com]

	Subject: Is this really the right thing to do?
	Date: Sat, Nov 28, 1998 at 03:16:07PM -0500

In reply to:Ed Cogburn

Quoting Ed Cogburn(ecogburn@greene.xtn.net):
> 
> 
> 
> 	I've been watching the explosive growth of deb packages in slink, now
> around 2700 packages.  Recently, the split-up of X11 into around 12
> packages and the numerous packages used in slink for the Netscape
> programs and the huge number (around 30) of packages that has to be
> installed for the GNOME system, is, I fear, putting strain on an already
> strained dpkg/apt/dselect management system.
> 	The X11 split-up is particularly worrisome because the packages don't
> have a "common" prefix in the name, i.e. xfonts-100-xxx, xbase, xterm. 
> Without a common prefix, the packages do not show up in the same place
> in dselect's selection screen.  At the very least, all packages in X11
> system should have a name that starts with 'X11-', for example.
> 	The developers of dpkg could do something like add a 'package grouping'
> feature that lets newcomers (especially newbies to X11) understand the
> relationship between packages.
> 	This feature would, I fear, strain the dpkg system even more.  I'm
> starting to see occasional failures under dselect/apt/dpkg that
> fortunately, for now, are transient (i.e. rerun dselect/apt and the
> failure doesn't reoccur).  It suggests to me that we are pushing our
> package management software beyond its capability.
> 	Does anyone else have the same concerns?
> 

Yes, definitely!  

  I have put off continuning client changeover from slackware to
debian due to these same concerns.  Not to mention the condition of
the current slink.


> 
> -- 
> Ed C.
> 
> 
> -- 
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> 
> 

-- 
Real computer scientists despise the idea of actual hardware.  Hardware
has limitations, software doesn't.  It's a real shame that Turing
machines are so poor at I/O.
_______________________________________________________
Wayne T. Topa <wtopa@ix.netcom.com>