Solaris "pkg" format?

[Nick Phillips]

> It would be great if the installation process could be automated,

I'm (very slowly) working on it.

> and the
> most natural way to do this would be using the Solaris "pkg" mechanism
> (analogous to the Redhat RPM stuff).

Er, no, it wouldn't.

The first and most important stage is to come up with a nice easy way to
go from a tarball to a configured and installed system on *any* platform.

(i.e. something similar or equivalent to "configure; make install")


Once that's done, then it should be easier to create packages for any of
the popular package management systems (by causing the installer to put
everything under a previously-empty subdirectory).

In the end I would expect that rpm, solaris pkg, *bsd pkg, and debs at least
would be worth having.


> 2. If the idea meets with Julian's approval, and if there are several
>    other sites which would positively wish for Solaris/pkg, then I might
>    be able to volunteer to take an initial look at it (although it would
>    have to be at low priority...).

Once a generic installer is done, it should be much easier to create
platform-specific packages; I'd encourage anyone who's considering trying
to make packages for any particular platform to mail me and offer to help
with the generic installation system, so that we can: a) get it done, and
b) make sure that it really does make it easier to create their particular
type of packages.

I'd particularly appreciate help/advice from anyone who fits any of the
following:

* has lots of experience creating similar packaging/installation systems
* knows GNU autoconf like the back of their hand
* knows GNU make like the back of their hand (less important, this one)
* knows why any particular platform will require special treatment
* has any really cunning ideas to make this really easy


Once the basic installer is done, I'll do a package for Debian. I'd
probably need someone else to do (or hand-hold me through doing) packages
for solaris and *bsd. And Julian seems to be able to handle RPMs, although
I'm sure he'd probably appreciate someone(s) else helping to automate
that (and hence reduce the amount of work he has to do), too.


So, volunteers, ideas, advice, warnings please step forward...


Cheers,


Nick

--
Nick Phillips -- nwp at lemon-computing.com
Tomorrow will be cancelled due to lack of interest.