Date: Sat, 2 Aug 1997 18:55:41 -0400 (EDT) From: Tim Vanderhoek <hoek@hwcn.org> To: David Nugent <davidn@unique.usn.blaze.net.au> Cc: hoek@hwcn.org, Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au>, Satoshi Asami <asami@cs.berkeley.edu>, andreas@klemm.gtn.com, ports@FreeBSD.ORG, current@FreeBSD.ORG, stable@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: ports-current/packages-current discontinued Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.970802184446.1324A-100000@james.freenet.hamilton.on.ca> In-Reply-To: <199708022212.IAA15131@unique.usn.blaze.net.au>
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On Sun, 3 Aug 1997, David Nugent wrote: > >Meta-ports!! Their time has come! > >~ > >[meta-ports, for those who have forgotten, are just normal > >ports, but whose only purpose is to build other ports.] > > You lost me. :-) > > How is the structure any different from the current *_DEPENDS > system? A normal port, eg. xonix-1.4, or tvp-0.9.7, will depend on other pieces of the port, but those depends are merely a side-effect ie. they are needed to compile xonix or tvp. However, a meta-port would consist of little more than a list of dependancies. Its purpose would not be to install a single piece of software (eg. tvp or xonix), but to install a whole list of software. To better support such meta-packages, bsd.port.mk could be expanded a little. A variable such as META, when turned on, could merge all the PLISTS into one big one, and force ``make package'' to include all the dependancy's binaries in the package (not currently done). Sysinstall could give these meta ports a special place in its world, making it obvious that one is expected to install them to get a "complete" system. This would have the large advantage that users of older releases could update their system by installing a meta-package or two. If the idea proves succesful, it could be possible to upgrade a whole system and kernel just by typing "pkg_add". :) Of course, this puts a lot of power in Satoshi's hands, and I think that may scare a certain few people. ;) (Also, there is precedent for installing parts of the "base system" through a port/package. Consider XFree86). -- Outnumbered? Maybe. Outspoken? Never! tIM...HOEk
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