Re: Metapackages (was Re: Debian Weekly News - September 14th, 1999)
Actually about these metapackages, what about having a new field in the /var/lib/dpkg/info/available file, the Keywords: field? The keywords would be predefined, and it would be _much_ easier to find a package... now, if I don't know the name of a package, I have to grep through the available file for the keyword. Example of keywords: gtop - gnome pcmcia-cs - laptop ppp, xisp, fetchmail - dialup So, if I have a laptop, dselect looks for the laptop keyword and shows me what I could/should install. What do you think? JH == Joey Hess [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: JH * The long awaited redesign of the installation profiles has JH begun. Now there are metapackages; packages that depend on a JH group of packages that relate to a common activity, like playing JH games or developing C programs. Martin Bialasinski posted a JH [14]request for help coming up with lists of packages for each JH metapackage. -- Germano Leichsenring Kobe University
Re: Metapackages (was Re: Debian Weekly News - September 14th, 1999)
Joe Drew [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Joe How is this different from metapackages? After all, all you have Joe to do is look at the metapackage's dependencies itself to see Joe what it gives you. At the beginning they're not much different; if you consider the metapackages implementation is already done, the keywords one is much harder to do; but IMHO it looks simple to code, just some filters on the available file. What happens is that with the keywords you can join keywords, like (network !admin !docs). I would say that, from a user's point of view, the keywords one looks more useful for a middle level user, and better for fine-tuning the packages when you don't know the name and can't realize in which group the package you want is (and that happens a _lot_ with me). Joe I just don't see why there should be another keyword when it's Joe already working perfectly well. I had the idea because I'm always grepping the available file, and thought some keywords on it would be helpful and dpkg could even have a search for keywords key. The list of packages is huge, you know that. I'm not sure this problem will be solved with the metapackages; will it? By the way, am I the only one grepping the available file?? -- Germano Leichsenring Kobe University
