Re: [Fink-devel] Adding a new package for the first time
Sean's comments make a lot of sense. The manual should start with a simple example with full instructions, e.g. 1. put the following content into a file called hello.c 2. put the following content into a file called Makefile 3. type tar -chofz hello.tgz hello.c Makefile.c 4. move hello.tgz to (DIRECTORY) 5. put the following content into a file called hello.info 6. move hello.info to (DIRECTORY) 7. type (FINK COMMAND) to build a local copy 8.If step 7 worked, type (FINK COMMAND) to install the built copy in the above, you'll note that I have some items in caps. I read the manual in some detail, but I only realized these essential things after folks on this list helped me. Q: is the package manual available in WIKI form? If so, then folks like Sean (and me) could make a stab at adding content to help other newbies. Alternatively, is the package manual avail in CVS, and is there a patch facility to coordinate contributions? On 23-Jun-04, at 1:04 AM, brlcad wrote: Hello, After having gone through the process of getting a new project added to fink for the first time, I figured I might as well share some of my thoughts and insights with others. Dan E. Kelley, Associate Professorphone:(902)494-1694 Oceanography Department, Dalhousie University fax:(902)494-2885 Halifax, Nova Scotia mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Canada B3H 4J1 http://www.phys.ocean.dal.ca/~kelley/Kelley_Dan.html --- This SF.Net email sponsored by Black Hat Briefings Training. Attend Black Hat Briefings Training, Las Vegas July 24-29 - digital self defense, top technical experts, no vendor pitches, unmatched networking opportunities. Visit www.blackhat.com ___ Fink-devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/fink-devel
Re: [Fink-devel] Adding a new package for the first time
I appreciate the feedback. I wonder whether you had a chance to look at one other resource linked from the Documentation page: the slides from a talk I gave Using Fink: A Developer's How-To at the 2002 O'Reilly OS X conference. During the talk itself, I took people through the creation of a simple fink package in step by step fashion. The slides probably don't capture that too well, though... As you suggest, we really need to write a Beginner's Guide. -- Dave --- This SF.Net email sponsored by Black Hat Briefings Training. Attend Black Hat Briefings Training, Las Vegas July 24-29 - digital self defense, top technical experts, no vendor pitches, unmatched networking opportunities. Visit www.blackhat.com ___ Fink-devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/fink-devel
Re: [Fink-devel] Adding a new package for the first time
Dave, Actually, when I made my first stab at the documentation a couple months ago, I recall that I did run across the presentation pdf. From memory, I believe I glanced through that and finally getting to the .info example and thinking okay, this looks like it'll be pretty simple.' There was just enough uncertainty, though, as to what goes where and what I needed to do since, as you well know, there is no accompanying text. So my fink learning adventure proceeded to the Package Manual where I quickly began to lose steam. Looking back at the presentation now, and after having gone through the process finally, I see that it is _really_ close to what I was looking for actually. Coupled with some text that was most likely given verbally during the presentation and converted to html (or reformat pdf away from slide-format), it would serve as a great intro. It'd still probably be very useful to point users to the vast array of existing .info files in fink already for other projects. I believe I ultimately visited about a dozen to get a feel for convention and ideas of things to check for. Anyhow, thanks again for the great work! Cheers! Sean On Jun 23, 2004, at 08:51, David R. Morrison wrote: I appreciate the feedback. I wonder whether you had a chance to look at one other resource linked from the Documentation page: the slides from a talk I gave Using Fink: A Developer's How-To at the 2002 O'Reilly OS X conference. During the talk itself, I took people through the creation of a simple fink package in step by step fashion. The slides probably don't capture that too well, though... As you suggest, we really need to write a Beginner's Guide. -- Dave --- This SF.Net email sponsored by Black Hat Briefings Training. Attend Black Hat Briefings Training, Las Vegas July 24-29 - digital self defense, top technical experts, no vendor pitches, unmatched networking opportunities. Visit www.blackhat.com ___ Fink-devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/fink-devel
[Fink-devel] Adding a new package for the first time
Hello, After having gone through the process of getting a new project added to fink for the first time, I figured I might as well share some of my thoughts and insights with others. I know that at least in the projects I work on, it's easy to get lost in the familiarity of your own creation and that a fresh external perspective is often helpful. If you don't feel you need that perspective, please feel free to ignore this. To give the impatient a short summary, it is something like this: The Package Manual is a good manual but is really not well suited as a guide for completely new projects by itself. Being pointed to the plethora of examples already in fink CVS was a gold mine that was ultimately what led to success. I'd suggest pointing this out at the very beginning of the manual, as well as elsewhere on the site. Long version, let me start by saying that in the end and overall, I found the process to be relatively reasonable. In hindsight it's not a complicated process and you guys have done a great job at making a sticky task manageable. This was my second stab at trying to figure out just what exactly I needed to do; the first was several months ago (and was utterly frustrating). The first time, I went to the website and quickly located the Package Manual. After reading a fair bit of the manual, it left me still without any direction of where to actually begin. It starts describing pieces of a file. Syntax of those pieces, descriptions of each of those pieces. All good when said and done, but was rather useless to put it frankly for my time constraints and focused goal. After putting a couple hours in and still not ending up with a firm direction of what was needed and what was not needed, I shelved the task for later or someone else on our dev team. Sure, had I invested even more time, and rtfm completely, I would have probably figured it out. The point is, however, that I shouldn't have had to spend that much time in the first place. Our project was like a thousand others out there, and I knew this. After hearing how quickly another dev set us up with darwinports a couple days ago, I was once again prodded to get our project into fink. This time I was intent at putting as little time and effort in as I could. Not to belittle the situation, but I have better things to do. This was way down on my list of priorities as I have enough responsibilities but .. hey, I like fink and actually felt I was doing us both a service so I figured another try was in order. Take that as you may. This time I dropped in to #fink on freenode and conveyed my concerns about how to get started quickly. I was, of course, pointed to my dismay to the blasted Package Manual yet again. Even after I explained how I did not need all the information in there, I was disappointed to be responded with a defensive and blunt you do need all the information in there. Before giving up and leaving, I was able to craft up the question of where I could find existing examples at least. (recall that I know/knew little nothing about the slew that were already on my harddrive) I was pointed to cvs, to my delight. To make a really long story only slightly shorter, I then quickly had a sample info file prepared in less than 15 minutes after perusing a dozen or so other projects. That was really all that I needed. Contrary to the you need to read all the Package Manual demand -- I didn't. I did find the manual useful _after_ I had an initial info file for looking up what a couple keywords meant, but in the end there were only a handful of questions that I wondered about and they were all quickly answered by others in #fink later. On that note, it's worth pointing out that not everyone in #fink was a stickler ;) some have been incredibly helpful and everyone's time was really appreciated regardless of any frustration. What I'm hoping to convey is that 1) the Package Manual, albeit a good manual, is not well suited to creating a fink info file for the very first time. A short howto with a complete simple example broken out would have worked -- a sentance or two pointing me to refer to a dozen examples in cvs would have worked too. Then if there are still questions, I can see how it would have been worth it to rtfm in it's entirety. That's all I got. Again, I'm hoping to not step on anyones toes, and I'm not looking for a defensive response or any response for that matter. If someone can take something useful away from my experience, great. Keep up the great work guys. Cheers! Sean --- This SF.Net email sponsored by Black Hat Briefings Training. Attend Black Hat Briefings Training, Las Vegas July 24-29 - digital self defense, top technical experts, no vendor pitches, unmatched networking opportunities. Visit www.blackhat.com ___ Fink-devel mailing