PPM: What is under the hood? What would you propose?

[francois]

So we continue with slackyd as a basis for the cli mode package manager. Having a closer look at it, you are right it does a lot more than amypkg. Revising its functionality, I realize that it could find and build from source. I ressucitated that old thread of mine on slackyd:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=142

Commands that might be some good additions:
txz2xzm all [DESTDIR]:
- transform txz into modules for all the files in the local directory (by default actual directory). For example all the files included in /var/slackyd/ are transformed into modules.
move & activate all [DESTDIR]:
txz2xzm merge all [DESTDIR]:
- merge all txz in local directory to DESTDIR (by default actual directory)
xzm2dir all [DESTDIR]:
extract all xzm modules separately in independent directories (by default actual directory).
dir2xzm all [DESTDIR]:
- transform directories into separate modules for all the files in the local directory.
dir2xzm merge all [DESTDIR]:
- merge all dir in local directory to DESTDIR (by default actual directory)
move & activate all [DESTDIR]:
- move and activate all modules in actual directory to DESTDIR


Repositories for slackyd:
- Add Alien and Salix repositories to to the actual slackware and slacky. If possible.

Thanks.

[francois]

Finally, I got the Alien repo sorted out within /etc/slackyd/slackyd.conf. However for the salix repo, I get Wget Error:

Code: Select all

Repository: salix [mirror.its.dal.ca]
`- Downloading FILELIST.TXT [ok]                         
`- Downloading PACKAGES.TXT [ok]                         
`- Downloading CHECKSUMS.md5 [ok]                         
`- Downloading MANIFEST.bz2 [Wget Error!]

I imagine that it should settle by itself once a user mention it. What do you think?

[brokenman]

I am using code and ideas from slackpkg, amypkg and slackyd for the cli version. Each has it's strong and weak points and i want to make use of all the good points.

Slackpkg for example gave me the idea for extensibility. You can add any extra function to the codebase by creating a script in functions.d folder.
Slackyd has a very good internal dependency finder but doesn't show the size of a package using the default search option.

I am including a command that allows one to switch between distros: ppm set slackware or ppm set porteus
It will also be a little more colorful than other package managers. I like color.

I'll send you a pre alpha release Francois when it is mature enough so you can offer advice.

[francois]

The instruction for package info is slackyd -w package:

Code: Select all

root@porteus:~# slackyd -h
Usage: slackyd <options> <package>             

Options:                                             
 ...                            
 -w: View package info.                              
 -x: Disable blacklist.                              
 -X: Show packages available and blacklisted.

But I imagine that you knew that.

[brokenman]

Yes thats why i said "using the default search option." I saw from another post that someone preferred to see the size in the info output. I've also included the info: [installed] [upgrade] [downgrade] [not installed].

So far this is a rundown of features:
It has two main branches: slackware and porteus. You can switch between the two using: ppm set slackware
All actions performed after this assume you are working on the slackware branch and vice versa for porteus. This will allow me to add other repos later.

Set the storage point for all downloaded packages.
Search for packages by keywords in the description.
Install packages (or reinstall) and if you are trying to downgrade you are warned.
Update the application or the slackware/porteus database.
Convert packages into modules.

Please add more feature requests. I am leaving the dep resolution until last. It scares me.

[francois]

All my wishes have been express at the top of this page. I imagine that at this point other forum member could give a very good input. What do you think hamza, ahau, fanthom, phhpro, donald, blaze, ....?

Could there be a local repository where one would download for example from packages pkg.org. or sources from anywhere (here using the slackyd -d or slackyd -D option? I imagine this would be even more tricky than resolving dependencies for porteus or slackware. If you do implement that option, it could be tested last. Is this possible?

[fanthom]

"I imagine this would be even more tricky than resolving dependencies for porteus or slackware. If you do implement that option, it could be tested last. Is this possible?"
i'm 100% sure that it wont work for most of the apps.

in January i'll start playing with using the server we are renting for a huge task which is creating an unified slackware repository. i'll be targeting to have every single package from slackware/slacky/salix/alien/slackers/etc in it's latest version + binary dependency resolution + converted to xzm.
that should give us about 3-4k of modules (for both archs) which should be enough for majority of users. will also try to automate upgrades which will be even harder to achieve.

if i succeed then rewritten PPM (cli or gui or both) could support our unified repository only.
will see how this goes.

[francois]

This seems to be major league to me. 8)

[donald]

Sounds good to have everything under one roof.
maybe with a user-repo,in which all the modules which are scattered in the Forum,
can find a place.

and on top
We could hire an unemployed programmer
to check all the Packages if they are trustworthy.
(just kidding, but would not be bad)

[amigo]

I'd like to point out, that src2pkg is made for 'creating packages', not managing them. But, it is easily scriptable so that it can be wrapped into any other script.

[francois]

I thought mentioning in this post two very interesting development in terms of package management and package building.

They might, in the first case simplify package management under porteus and slackware, and in the second case open a wide array of packages not available under slackware to porteus. Fingers on the keyboard, and not finger in the nose would really be appreciated for these threads, so to test the packages

1) brokenman our package manager expert is working on a command line package manager for slackware or akin packages. Fingers on the keyboard, and not in the nose would be appreciated, see:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=3040

2) ViktorNova came out with an elegant solution that provide porteus user the archlinux pasture:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=3058

[amigo]

Do you mean me with 'fingers in the nose'? I'm the author of src2pkg -20,000+ lines (and counting).

[francois]

All my respect to you amigo. You were not at all targetted by my comment.

In fact, I was just trying to cheerlead or to mobilize the troops to get them to have a look at the two threads that I was pointing to.