Subject: Re: PROPOSAL: NetBSD System Packages
To: Hubert Feyrer <feyrer@rfhs8012.fh-regensburg.de>
From: Jim Wise <jwise@unicast.com>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 09/30/1998 19:29:18
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On Thu, 1 Oct 1998, Hubert Feyrer wrote:

>My hope was to get one interface for both "system"-pkgs and pkgsrc-pkgs so
>then-existing UIs can both install them without knowing which is which.

This is certainly my hope, too.  In case it's not clear, a package set
is simply a container for the mass delivery and mass
selection/deselection of a large group of related packages.  Within the
set, the only difference between a `system package' and a `pkgsrc-pkg'
is that system packages are used to provide a package-based installation
of the system itself, in lieu of install sets.  They will be identical
in format to third-party packages, and the same tools will be usable for
either.

>Basically that's ok... but maybe see my all.syspkg vs. base.syspkg etc.
>question above - how many different "pkg set"s do you want to create?

My goal is to replace each current install set with a corresponding
package set.

>That said, and still assuming that you WILL use the current "pkg set
>contains a pointer instead of a copy" scheme, the distinction basically
>boils down to the question: do you want to be able to use pkgs that are
>installed via ftp (i.e. the pointer goes behind a ftp://-link), or do you
>want to be able to sum up size of *installed* pkgs fast. 

I'm confused...  Which "pkg set contains a pointer instead of a copy"
scheme? The proposal is that package sets, consisting of a tarball of
binary packages and a contents file will replace the current install 
sets consisting of a tarball of files.

>Well, adding this code to pkg_* make it not look nicer, that's all.  I've
>tried to understand that code during the last weeks and added some things,
>and adding +SIZE for every option won't make things more fun (pkgs can be
>installed via stdin, e.g.).

I consider specific additions to pkg_* beyond the scope of this project,
except to say that system packages, being packages, should use whatever
capabilities are provided by the pkg_* tools.  Sets, being containers of
packages, will benefit naturally from these capabilities, at least to
some extent.

- -- 
				Jim Wise
				jwise@unicast.com

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