One of the problems with calling RPM, etc., true open-source project(s) is (are) that
there have been additions to make RPM work properly on Slack (for one) suggested, and
even written, but they have yet to become part of RPM proper. Also, there are still
some major problems with RPM and other package managers
when it comes to tasks as common as upgrading. I remember the mess that upgrading
from RedHat 4.2 to 5.0 made of my system (it was why I tried Slack on my next system).
It has been since then that I have done my own research and come to agree with many
unix old-timers: installing from sources is better.
What I mean when I say "universal package manager" is something more to the "tune" of
the following:
a common system to track source/package dependencies,
a common compilation script handler,
a common copy/install script handler,
a common uninstall handler,
a common package update handler,
and possibly a cool GUI interface for those folk who insist on everything working like
windows in X.
A package for this type of system would include:
sources,
information to allow some comon package handler to compile the sources,
information to allow the tracking of source/package dependencies,
information to allow the proper placement of compiled files on a system,
information to allow the uninstallation of the package,
information to allow the package to be updated with ease,
and information to describe the package.
RPM et. al. have most of the above straightened out......., but they are set up so as
to promote one specific LINUX distro as _THE_LINUX_, and that seems to me to be
contrary to the purpose of open-source software.
If you would like to discuss this further we should probably do it elsewhere.
In any case, I think that Kevin's decision to not support RPM's until we are
_much_much_much_ further along is a wise one, and I agree. This software still too
alpha for people whom don't know who to use "./configure ; make" to be using.
As a side note, a really _good_ installer would be able to help (walk through) set up
things like the plex86.conf files, and the whole disk-image thing, and provide
run-time help to the user. This type of power is still quite some time off, but it
will happen....... so lets not agrue too much about it & get the
sources ready!!!
John Summerfield wrote:
> > I user to always look for packages (Slackware *.tgz) for the software that I
> > wanted, but I found that they often didn't work as expected--since then I hav
> > e
> > installed as much as possible from source (and had a lot fewer problems).
> >
> > I think that is a good enough argument for the use of sources until somebody
> > comes
> > up with a universal (truly compatible & open-source, not like RPM & *.deb--wh
> > ich
> > claim to be open source, but aren't compatible with other file-tree setups, a
> > nd
> > refuse to be). So long as package systems only work for one type of system,
> > they
> > are not of any great worth to the unix community in general, or worth much to
> > the
> > evolution of better software in general.
> >
>
> Open source and compatibility are different issues. You get the source code for
>qhicevery you want, you can redistrubute it, change it, break it as youy like.
>
> However, since they have different capabilities, it's silly to expect them to use
>the same file structures, and since RPM's capabilities are often extended, i would be
>a nightmare for the Deban project to keep up. Heck, old versions of rpm can't use the
>newer file formats used by newer versions of RPM either.
>
> RPM dies a very nice job of removing all a package's files whereever they are.
>
> It's no trouble to create an rpm that allows the user to specify where components go
>at install time. When the package is upgraded or remvoed, these files' locations are
>stored in the database in the locations they were installed, not where a tarball
>might have said they are.
>
> And it's also possible to check whether components of a package have been altered.
>
> --
> Cheers
> John Summerfield
> http://www2.ami.com.au/ for OS/2 & linux information.
> Configuration, networking, combined IBM ftpsites index.
>
> Microsoft's most solid OS: http://www.geocities.com/rcwoolley/
>
> Note: mail delivered to me is deemed to be intended for me, for my disposition.
--
Drew Northup, N1XIM
