Jordan Hubbard On Next-Generation Packaging

GlobalEcho writes: "Developers associated with Darwin are beginning to think about package management and source building. At issue is whether something like dpkg, RPM or *BSD's ports could suffice, or whether they are all just way too mid-90's. Jordan Hubbard himself (now of Apple) weighed in with his opinions (user and passwd 'archives'). Apparently he thinks it is time for something more advanced, and he gives some ideas about what that might look like. Does anyone else have good ideas?"

Comments

If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features

[ChaosMt]

I'm happy that someone so capable is think about this. However, bsd ports and package systems are quite good already - lean and mean. On my OpenBSD box it is quite simple. Either pkg_add ftp://url/package_file or env FLAVORS="option1 option2" make install. Elegant, simple, lightweight and powerful. Yesterday I did a big php build with a BUNCH of dependancies and sub dependancies - and it handled them all beautifully. A round of applause for OpenBSD and the port maintainers, please!

What I would hate to see are any major revisions if it's just gonna add some feature; I would rather see that time spent on developing the ports and packages themselves. Make is a good, simple, foundational and almost always present solution. Adding other languages would be a waste of time IMHO.

Let me condense what I think should be pursued from the ports perspective: documentation and ease of use. One can always make readmes and get mini-descirptions, but that really should be expanded upon, both for beginners and seasoned users who just don't know what that software is about. It would be nice to have some options like, info that would go thought the ports tree and build more verbose information. If those documents are built in a consistant manner (such as xml), then any ol' front end can be built to pull the info on the port and automate building the port and the flavors available. For example, a simple curses interface that will inform you of the dependancies that will need to be built first, estimates the size, and gives you a list of flavors to add into your build. Hit ok and it monitors the progress for you, logs the process and keeps the messages out of sight (from those who get scared easy).

I agree that something should be done to be able to automagically build a package from a port. I think this area would be the best to pursue. Even better, if we bsd types could get a system like checkinstall /installwatch consistantly, not most of the time, but consistantly working on BSD. This project essentially is a wrapper script that records everything make install does. In current form, it gives you the option of building an RPM from that make install. What should be pursued is making this work -well- on bsd, with the option to build a package along with documenting it's dependancies and/or recording the install info into the existing system to that all one has to do to remove what you just built is 'pkg_delete'. THAT would be cool!!