Re: [Synaptic-devel] Patch: add rpm-src-dir support + some ideas

[Panu Matilainen]

On Wed, 2003-11-12 at 17:54, Michael Vogt wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On Wed, Nov 12, 2003 at 01:21:29PM +0200, Panu Matilainen wrote:
> > The attached patch adds support for rpm-src-dir to Synaptic (rpm-src-dir 
> > was just added upstream to apt-rpm). Not that there's any use for that in 
> > Synaptic but at least it knows what the dang thing is :)
> 
> Yeah! Thanks a lot. I applied the patch and it will be part of 0.46
> (to be released shortly I hope).

Thanks.

> 
> > Now on to the ideas which this just spurred up:
> > 
> > 1) Strange/wild idea of adding *easy* support for local repositories: 
> > Think about a situation where a user has downloaded stuff from various 
> > places into ~/packages. How do you go installing those from Synaptic? You 
> > either figure out how to run genbasedir on that (or use rpm-dir on 
> > rpm-systems) and add to source lists. Not particularly user friendly...
> > I'm thinking of something like "find local repositories from this system" 
> > menu-entry/button in the repository setup window, which would search the 
> > local disk for things looking like repositories (for rpm-dir that's easy, 
> > anything RPMS.<foo> basically) and add those automatically to 
> > sources.list. Where rpm-dir can't be used that gets much more complicated 
> > (find suitable directories, run genbasedir, add to sources.list .. and 
> > keep on running genbasedir on that to keep it in sync at suitable 
> > points...) but maybe not impossible?
> 
> Hm, that sounds interessting. Coincidentally I got a request for this
> feature a couple of days ago from a debian user :) Looks like there
> are more people waiting for it. What about a somewhat simpler way?

Simpler is better of course, was just throwing around the idea :)

> Here is my idea:
> Add a button into the reposiotry dialog called "Add/create local
> respoitory". This opens a dialog where the user has to choose a
> directory (maybe even adding the option to search automatically for
> it) with the rpms in. 

Sure, automating the thing can come some sunny day if somebody wants to
implement it, simple dialog where user chooses the directory is just
fine (and probably much, much better anyway, automatic searches would
inevitably find stuff they're not supposed to)

> When he clicks "finish" (or "create")
> apt-ftparchive (or whatever programm creates the Package.gz file) is
> run and the file:// URI is added to the sources.list file. 
> [we would have to add a button like "update" to regenerate the
> Package.gz file].
> 
> What do you think?

Basically what I was thinking, only sounds ten times simpler :)
Would be nice if the local repository would get automatically updated as
necessary though .. all it would take is compare timestamps of package
index and directory change time, so that if user has dropped a new
package in there then next run of normal update would notice that the
local repository has changed and update the contents. Having to manually
keep the local repo up-to-date is a bit of a pita .. but of course much
simpler to do, and ok at least for initial version I think. Rpm-dir
doesn't even need the "update" there (but then it causes generic
slowdown, especially noticeable on big directories) so that's the
easiest to add by far.

> 
> > 2) Would there be interest in getting Synaptic to support source retrieval 
> > and build-dep installation? Those obviously are of little interest for the 
> > average end user and maybe the average developer uses apt for that ... but 
> > then currently the average developer doesn't have a choice :)
> 
> Well, I don't have any interesst in it :) But maybe someone else? 

Personally me neither, just an early-morning idea :) But if someone
wants that I can look into it.

> 
> > 3) Better integration with apt's Lua-interface would be welcome. Now only 
> > a few Lua-slots trigger when using Synaptic, making many scripts 
> > useless / almost-so, and reporting anything back to the user from even 
> [..lua stuff..]
> 
> This is a problem for me. Debians apt does not support lua at all. So
> I can't test and/or develop it. I have no idea if lua support is
> planed for the debian apt. 

That's unfortunate :( I was somehow under the impression that various
bits from apt-rpm like Lua-interface and apt-shell were included
nowadays in debian apt as well but I must've been dreaming, indeed
they're not in debian apt cvs.

> I'm open to patches though, but my
> understanding of lua and the lua slots of apt is basicly 
> non-existend. Gustavo told me he is thinking about adding some lua
> support for synaptic. I'll trust his judgement :)

Ok, good to know that Gustavo is at least thinking about it :)

        - Panu -