chicken-install commands (WAS: Re: [Chicken-users] Chicken on Windows (MinGW))

[Stephen Eilert]

On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 7:31 AM, Mario Domenech Goulart
<address@hidden> wrote:
> Hi Arthur!
>
> On Wed, 12 May 2010 17:39:26 -0300 Arthur Maciel <address@hidden> wrote:
>
>> I tried compiling it with MinGW and worked charmingly.
>>
>> I'm facing problems installing awful egg, as it complains that required 
>> version
>> of 'uri-generic' is older than 2. It says to run 'chicken-install
>> uri-generic:2', but no package is found.
>
> That's awful. :-) Strangely enough, awful doesn't directly depend on
> uri-generic.  Maybe it's uri-common which requires uri-generic >= 2.
>
> uri-common is required by intarweb and spiffy, and both are required by
> awful.  In fact there's no version "2", but there's "2.something".
> Maybe the message presented by chicken-install is misleading.
>
> You can try to update uri-generic. You just need to run
>
>    $ chicken-install uri-generic
>
> This command will pick the latest uri-generic version.

This is something I've meant to ask for a while now but forgot
completely. I think chicken-install would benefit from a few extra
commands. Some suggestions:

-update-all: this would update all installed eggs to their newest versions.

-outdated: Instead of blindly updating, you'd be able to check which
eggs are out-of-date

-list [name]: This would query the eggs available, preferably with a
quick summary (similar to the current eggs page). The optional name
argument would allow a filter.

-stale: Got the idea from rubygems. It would basically list the local
eggs with their last atime. Might be helpful for when we reach a
thousand gems ;)

I don't know if we need to change the server to support new commands.
I had already proposed a "list" command a while ago, but I don't
remember what the agreement was. Anyway, I am willing to implement
some of these, time permitting. Assuming you guys like the suggestions
:)


--Stephen

programmer, n:
        A red eyed, mumbling mammal capable of conversing with
inanimate monsters.