On Wed, 6 Sep 2000, Ethan Benson wrote: <...> > text database is the ONLY way to go, if it were not for that i would > have been totally fscked when my /var got hosed and my backup was > inconsistent with my current package installation which confused > dpkg. (answer: emacs /var/lib/dpkg/status took a little time to work > out, but MUCH LESS then it would have taken to blow away my install > and start over from scratch)
Well, it is one way to go. :) Ethan, what is the difference between: emacs /var/lib/dpkg/status and dpkg-bin-db-editor /var/lib/dpkg/status.bin or even other-os-version-of-dpkg-bin-db-editor c:\path\to\copy\of\status for those really odd cases where you need to use a different OS to fix your Debian box? I prefer the text way, but have not heard anything that makes me believe the bin way is fundamentally wrong. What is needed is a list of failure modes and the remedies using both text and bin based systems. If it turns out that one must reinstall in more often to fix a problem in the bin case than in the text case then scrap the idea of a bin DB for dpkg. However, if it turns out that either system is workable then take steps to ensure that dpkg-bin-db-editor has all the features you need... I want to be able to manually add and edit entries in the DB (i.e., given the freedom to royally screw things up if I feel so inclined), and it doesn't matter if it is via a text editor or a special bin editor. later, Bruce