Re: Comparing PackageFS and GNU PM

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   If an administrator make a package directory into INSTALL/,

Hmm, so one can _only_ install avaiable packages, and one does this by
creating a directory in INSTALL/?

This seems like a major difference, with our scheme you can install
programs that haven't been packaged and are not avaiable by installing
the program in a different root, and making a symlink from that root
to /package.

   > What are your concerns about ordinary users?  They would have GUI
   > front-ends with all kind of bells and whistles that they could
   > use.

   What about if the GUI is an ordinary file manager ?

Drag the directory to /package, drop it, get a small menu asking them
to make a symlink.  Or just copy the whole directory to /package.  Or
you could make something fancy in Gnome's file manager that will show
you a "Install me" button when you look at a package; with some info
under the button with a description.

   I was wondering if it was necessary to translate /packages/*/bin.

Explain.

   No doubt it is a very interesting idea, but how does it improve
   GNU?

It allows easier package maintaiance, installation of unpackaged
programs, easier integration with other programs (just use normal
filesystem calls from libc).  It is more transparent than using a
"package manager program"; making it more integrated with the rest of
the system.  And more...

   Is it really necessary now?

I would like to have it now, then we wouldn't have to use stow as a
replacmenet for the time being.