Subject: Re: Package discussion.
To: Chris G Demetriou <Chris_G_Demetriou@LAGAVULIN.PDL.CS.CMU.EDU>
From: Bakul Shah <bakul@netcom.com>
List: current-users
Date: 01/09/1995 23:37:49
>                                                             but i'm
> not quite sure why they're so big on _discussing_ it and not doing
> it...  Packaging tools exist for NetBSD, thanks to John Kohl.

Looking beyond what pkg does, we also need something like
SGI's `inst' program that allows you to do some more things:
- Choose multiple items from a list of items to install
- Upgrade from an earlier version
- List what has already been installed
- Manage dependencies between packages
- Uninstall previously installed packages
- Install from a local tape/CD or over the net
- Compute disk space before actual install.
- Shell escape to do anything else you wish.

There is a version that runs under Unix and X + a standalone
version that allows you to install the whole OS (or upgrade
to a new version) + an initial set of packages.

We can do something like this.  If we separate out
information needed by an install program, we can write
multiple programs, suitable in different environments
(standalone, curses based, X based etc.)

This is what I was getting at in my previous message.

Bakul