Date: Sat, 08 Mar 1997 22:01:21 -0500 From: Bill Lloyd <wlloyd@mpd.ca> To: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com> Cc: ports@FreeBSD.ORG, current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Getting /usr/ports everywhere... Message-ID: <33222801.7900@mpd.ca> References: <4821.857735697@time.cdrom.com>
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Jordan K. Hubbard wrote:
>
> If we could count on /usr/ports being more "standard equipment" on
> FreeBSD, even at the cost of 31MB, it would make it possible to answer
> a *huge* array of questions with "No problem, go to /usr/ports/blah/feh
> and do a ``make install clean'' to install the optional gadget you're
> looking for (but don't know it yet)" with reasonable assurance that it
> will solve the user's problem. As it stands now, we first have to
> explain how to get ahold of and use ports before we can offer some
> piece of it as a solution.
>
> I'd also like to make the ports collection a little more well
> integrated as a general resource, with more targets aimed at people
> looking for things ("cd /usr/ports; make search KEY="emacs") and just
> on the whole more accessible to the total novice. Making it a 1st
> class object in the installation menu would be a good first step, I
> think!
This is related, so I thought I'd bring it up.
I've been fooling around with a shell script that might be usefull for
a novice user to install a port from the www.freebsd.org ports pages.
However, it's not really ready for public consumption yet.
The idea is to be able to install a port on any host, without having
/usr/ports. Also, I wanted to integrate the usual ftp, uncompress,
untar etc..
I thought it would make a neat back end to the ports www pages.
Specifically, after you find the program you want to install, you follow
the www install link.
Fill out a _simple_ form. Ie hostname (use REMOTE_HOST as default), do
you want to automatically compile etc...
The key of course is that the www_install script is run as root on the
target host. www_install listens on a TCP port for a simple one line
command of the form..
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/FreeBSD-current/ports/security/sudo.tar.gz
The www_install script creates /usr/ports if it doesn't exist, creates
the security directory, downloads the tar.gz file, unpacks it, and if
the option was checked, goes ahead and fetches, compiles, installs and
cleans the port for you.
I have to admit it's my first attempt at sh. I've always avoided sh for
perl. I thought it would be fun to try....
Anyway, the script is written, and it works if I pipe a command to it
over TCP. If it doesn't get a command, it times out.
I think it would be usefull for the novice user, as it would allow for
installation of a program directly from the www.freebsd.org web pages.
For security, it should only accept commands from the freebsd.org
domain.
I was going to try it out on a local copy of the www pages, but I'm
running 2.1.7 and I can't seem to generate my own port pages.
If anybody thinks that this might be usefull, and not simply a gimmick,
please let me know. I really need to rewite it in perl, but I'm
looking for some feedback first.
-bill
--
William Lloyd (wlloyd@mpd.ca) | <http://www.mpd.ca>;
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