Re: dpkg not part of core?

[George Bonser <grep@oriole.sbay.org>]

On Sun, 18 Jan 1998, Rick Jones wrote:

> I was saying what you put in your email.  If you are making a standard
> for all dist's you shouldn't attempt to make everyone conform to the
> interface when the internals is all that needs to be standardized.  The
> "users interface" to the installation process should be left to the
> taste of the developers of the individual dis' although it should be a
> wrapper/shell/interface for the standardized internals.


I have downloaded the source that creates the boot disks and am trying to
wade through them ... it is the boot-floppies package in debian.  They are
just shell scripts, mostly.  This package can be customized. I suppose we
need a VAR-pak that gives someone wanting a custom install disk set a
standard interface for making them.  The stuff currently in boot-floppies
is VERY Debian-centric but most of it is text files that can be replaced.

> Now that I understand what he was actually talking about, I agree that
> there should be a standard structure to the initial installer, not to
> mention a unique name.  What do you think about calling them "system
> installer" and "package installer" to eliminate confusion?

Well, the system installer ... hmmm.  I am pretty tired, let me sleep on
it.  

> 
> At any rate.  It would be a good idea to have a vanilla interface to
> both installers available for those that build there own custom system. 
> But it shouldn't be a part of the standard core.  The internal process
> and structure should be part of core with each dis' having their own
> wrapper to interface with it.  Both installers, function-wise, need to
> be in the core.  But the wrappers/shells/interfaces to them should
> remain in dist-base-required.

Right, we tell them "I don't care HOW you get them there but when your
install is finished, you must have at least the following list of files
installed .... " Here is how we do it and you are welcome to modify our's
if you like.


George Bonser 
If NT is the answer, you didn't understand the question. (NOTE: Stolen sig)
http://www.debian.org
Debian/GNU Linux ... the maintainable operating system.