[H-GEN] The Future of Packaging

[Andrae Muys]

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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002, David Findlay wrote:

> What I think is needed is a change in the way Linux software is packaged. 
> There should be a single binary package format for all distro's. Packages 
> would only list relative paths to files. A distribution would have a config 
> file saying where different types of files should go. For instance docs in 
> /usr/doc/. In this way any package would be compatible with any distribution. 

Done.  I suggest you go take a look at RPM.  Or if you prefer the .deb
format.  In fact they each offer numerous additional features, you should
probably take a look at them too, as they have all been added in response
to various very real needs (most of them non-negotiable), so you will want
to support those same features.

Then you can consider the cost of repackaging all the existing software
for use with your new package system.  Or then again you could just modify
alien, it already supports the existing formats, so it might as well
support yours too.

Then you can try to convince the various distributions to switch to your
new format, this will require demonstratably working code... ie. another
distribution.  Of course in the process of doing this you will realise
that in fact package format is the least of your worries when trying to
create cross-distribution packages.

So you can then start lobbying for the distributions to co-operate on
standard libraries and file locations, and prepare a standard for what
can be assumed, and where it will be found.  Of course shortly after this
the LSB will come asking why you're trying to duplicate the work they've
been doing for the past 2 years.

In other words, it's a long recognised issue, that's far more complex then
you assume, that's being addressed, and regarding which much has already
been achieved.

Andrae Muys
--
Andrae Muys            
amuys at contal.net.au  ...most likely other e-mail programs like Eudora
Senior Engineer        are not designed to enable virus replication.
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