[Slapt-get-user] Filter location and meta package

- Kocil k0c1l at hotmail.com
Sun Nov 7 05:14:04 EST 2004


Hi slapt-get developer(s).

I'm a vector Linux developer (www.vectorlinux.com/forum).
After comparing some Slack based package management system,
we have chosen slapt-get.
So we are in the way to modify our packages to contain the slack-required,
slack-suggests and slack-conflicts.
We have partially setup the online FTP site
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/vectorlinux/veclinux-5.0/packages/.
PACKAGES.TXT and CHECKSUMS.MD5 are there,
but atm, only some packages contains dependency info.

So far so good, but when we are trying to make a front-end,
some problems:

1. How can we filter packages, based on location.

>From slapt-get README:
* search package listing using POSIX and extended regular expressions
   by package name, location, and description

VL put the packages based on libraries and group, for example, we have:
  ./x11/gtk/MM/xmms
  ./x11/gtk/NET/dillo
  ./x11/gtk2/NET/firefox

We want to able to filter, for example:
* only packages from x11/gtk (get dillo and xmms, not firefox)
* only NET packages (get dillo and firefox, not xmms).

2. Is meta-package a good idea for upgrading a flavour ?
Flavour is a VL term, basically an variation for a specific purpose.
For a version, say VL 5.0, we make several flavour, for example DYNAMYTE, 
STANDARD, SOHO.
See 
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/vectorlinux/veclinux-5.0/doc/

Now, we want to able to upgrade VL STANDAR (minimal packages)
to a SOHO (more packages).  I'm thingking of using meta package, so user 
with VL standard can get SOHO simply by doing:

slapt --install vector-soho

Is that a good idea ?
What happen if the DYNAMITE contains some packages that are not in the SOHO 
?
Is it possible to remove it automatically ?

3. How to choose vl packages over slack packages ?

We are still using original Slackware packages (don't reinvent the whell, 
right ?),
except some necessary packages.
So typically, we set two SOURCEs.
First to the VL FTP site, and the second to the Slackware mirror.
Unfortunatelly, when using slapt-get --upgrade, it wants to upgrade, for 
example:

libglade-2.0.4-i486-1.tgz over libglade-2.0.4-i586-vl5.tgz

Both are the same package and version,
but the installed one is the right VL package.
How to prevent the original slackware package overwrite it !

More difficult, Slackware has a problem with cdrtools, so we downgraded it.
Slapt-get always wants to replace the right package like this:

cdrtools-2.01-i486-1.tgz over cdrtools.1.10-i586-vl5.tgz

That should not happen, since the older is BETTER.


Just 3 questions for now. More will arise, once we are digging deeper.
We believe slapt-get will gives VL a great bost,
and on the other hand,
let's prove the capability of slapt-get with fully supportive FTP site.


Regard
Kocil

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