Re: PRIVILEGED_STAGES vs. user builds

[Aleksey Cheusov <vle%gmx.net@localhost>]

> Subject: Re: PRIVILEGED_STAGES vs. user builds
 >> 
 >> On Mon, Feb 01, 2010 at 09:53:43AM +0000, Matthias Scheler wrote:
 >> > Shouldn't unprivileged builds simple ignore "PRIVILEGED_STAGES"?
 >> 
 >> IMO the whole concept of privileged clean stage should be removed.

> IIUC, and IIRC, this can only be done if those packages that write new
> files(?)/directories to (or otherwise change ownerships in) the work
> directory during the install stage.  I.e. files(?)/directories in the
> work directory end up being owned by root and cannot be "cleaned" by the
> unprivileged user.

To solve this problem I've packaged Linux's utility fakeroot(1) (see
wip/fakeroot) which is used in Debian, Ubuntu, AltLinux and many others
(most?) Linux distributions for building packages in fully unprivileged
mode.

    Fakeroot creates a `faked root' environment.  A typical use case is
    creating tar (or somesuch) packages that should have proper file
    ownerships and modes without needing root access to the machine.

Right now it doesn't work under NetBSD (but compiled successfully) but I
think it can be easily fixed. I have a plan to fix it myself but I will
not be able to do it in nearest two weeks or so.

Of course it is GPLed.

-- 
Best regards, Aleksey Cheusov.