Subject: Re: /usr/pkg/etc vs. /etc
To: Manuel Bouyer <bouyer@antioche.lip6.fr>
From: What EES eet man? <greywolf@starwolf.com>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 12/15/1998 15:48:07
Manuel Bouyer sez:
/*
 * Why ? I don't copy /var/db/pkg, and all my machine run fine. Sure I can't
 * use the pkg_* commands on the rdisted machines, but what's the problem ?

Well, maybe that's your idea of "fine", and that's fine, but not everyone
shares the same viewpoint (obviously, from the tack this thread has taken).
Me, personally, _I'd_ want /var/db/pkg updated because I'd want to know
which things got installed on which machine.  Your kilometrage varies.

 * > I.e. why use the package system in
 * > the first place if you want to avoid doing the "install" step on each
 * > machine?????
 * 
 * To have precompiled binaries, or get sources that have already been tested
 * and are known to compile.
 * But I want all my machines to be identical. For this king of setup, rdist is
 * much better suited than any command distribution tool.

...in which case you'd probably want to install straight to /usr/local
and not bother registering the packages.  I agree about rdist, FWIW --
it's a "fine" installation tool.

Of course, via rdist, you _can_ have it run a "special" command when
you distribute the binaries -- just write a script which will register
the named package.

 * That's a different setup than mine. I'll never never need a tool on a client
 * that I will not need on my server....

Logically you're saying, following ( if !P then !Q :: if q then p ), that
if you need it on your server, you need it on your client, which you then
contradict.  No major point, but it's kind of confusing.

 * I have tools installed on my server that
 * are not on my clients. These tools are installed with a different $PREFIX,
 * and rdist can handle that just fine.
 * 
 * Also, did you consider tools that are not in the package system ?
 *

Ideally what you want is not necessarily the package system as it exists,
but you want a central repository.  From what you've stated, the information
and management provided by the pkg system is completely superfluous.

 */


				--*greywolf;
--
Microshaft:  Where do you want to crash today?