Re: Automatic software installing (like Win. 2000)
On Thu, Aug 26, 1999 at 01:11:24PM -0400, Ben Collins wrote
> On Thu, Aug 26, 1999 at 01:19:56PM -0500, Ashley Clark wrote:
> > On Wed, 25 Aug 1999, Sami Dalouche wrote:
> > > I would like to know if there's a possibility with apt (or something else)
> > > to do the same that windows/Office 2000.
> > > It installs automaticly new software from the CD when you want to start a
> > > non-installed function.
> > >
> > > It could be great if under Debian, when we type a command that don't exist,
> > > it would automaticly search the command from a small APT database or from the internet if diald|direct connection is here.
> > > And we could specify in a conffile to download the software or to install
> > > directly from the CD.
> > >
> > > Wouldn't it be cool ? Is it possible to program ?
> >
> > Egads man! That would be a lot of work, for it to work (I personally wouldn't
> > want it on my machine for numerous reasons) you'd have to make *EVERY* program
> > that executed a program check with apt/dpkg to see if a package contains that
> > executable. The only other way around it would be to write a wrapper program
> > that would take as arguments the command line to search for and possibly
> > install. This would be easier but you'd still have to tell all other programs
> > to change what they execute in order for your program to search for new
> > packages.
>
> <sarcasm>
<snip>
> </sarcasm>
>
> Sorry, auto updating packages to the latest version is one thing, but auto
> installing is down right dangerous. Just because it's "nifty" and "easy"
> doesn't mean it's a good idea. Gee, Windows itself is "nifty" and "easy"
> isn't it? :)
>
It would require that ordinary users be able to perform privileged tasks
(installing/upgrading software) that may break the system, unless you
restrict it to root (in which case, I don't see much benefit).
It also requires some way of identifying packages that contain the command,
of choosing between then, of dealing with conflicts and alternates (suppose
I aim for "smail", and type "qmail"; or, suppose I type "sendmail"), and
assumes that the person who wants to run the command is competent to
configure it.
John P.
--
huiac@camtech.net.au
john@huiac.apana.org.au
"Oh - I - you know - my job is to fear everything." - Bill Gates in Denmark
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