Package manager layout

[brokenman]

I've begun writing a package manager and i thought i had better first lay it out here so people can offer suggestions now.

Here is the package index file layout. It is the same as slack with one change.

Code: Select all

PACKAGE NAME:  module-name-1.46.xzm
PACKAGE CATEGORY: database
PACKAGE SIZE (compressed):  1446 K
PACKAGE SIZE (uncompressed):  7940 K
PACKAGE REQUIRED:  glibc-solibs >= 2.11.1-i486-3,libiodbc >= 3.52.7-i486-2,ncurses >= 5.7-i486-1,openssl >= 0.9.8n-i486-1 | openssl-solibs >= 0.9.8n-i486-1,readline >= 5.2-i486-4
PACKAGE CONFLICTS:  
PACKAGE SUGGESTS:  
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
module-name: A description of the package goes here 
module-name: with the name of the packaged prepended 
module-name: to each line. Any remaining blank lines 
module-name: will still have package name as seen here
module-name: 
module-name: 
module-name: 
module-name: 
FILE LIST:
.
./usr/bin/binary
./lib/blah
./var/log/packages/module-name-1.46-i686-1

======================

The only change made to the default slacky layout is replacing 'PACKAGE LOCATION:' with 'PACKAGE CATEGORY:'

This will make it easy for a package manager to list packages by category, or search by name and description. The txz2xzm and tgz2xzm scripts can be altered to replace above line and ask user for a category.

For the categories here are my suggestions. Feel free to offer suggestions including add, remove, merge of categories:

develop -development related apps
drivers - drivers & firmwares
education - Dont think this one is popular so may remove
games - games
graphics - artwork, themes and image editors
internet - network related apps (chat, downloaders, sync etc)
libraries - common libraries
misc - for stuff that doesn't fit any of the above
multilanguage - non english applications
multimedia - audio, video players & editors, ISO management
office - word editors, charts, spreadsheets, reports
system - apps that alter ro access system settings. font viewer, disk usage, modtools
utilities - withdrawn. what is a utility?

[Hamza]

I like this idea with PACKAGE CATEGRORY

[fanthom]

nothing to add

off top: i hope we wont have doubled versions of the same application in the repo (example: firefox-3.6.10, firefox-3.6.15, firefox-4.0, etc...)