>
> I would like to talk you about the way the user has to handle packages on
> a linux system...
>
Ok, but linux-kernel proberbly isn't the right place ....
> When someone switches to a unix environment and starts to administrate
> it, the way packages are organized always seems strange to him at first.
> I can remember when I was a starter, and I always asked myself why some
> package has to be divided into several directoryes - ie
> /usr/local/bin/prog, /usr/local/man/man<n>/prog, /usr/local/lib/whatever.
>
It's worse when we have mixtures (eg /usr/X11R6/....).
[....]
> ....or you would have to reinstall your system on a regular basis, a la
> microsoft, yuck :(((((
>
Yep, yuck
> And it's the same with every program, you usualy can't be sure you
> haven't left a peace of config file or manual page somewhere after
> uninstalling.... I think it's really bad. In my opinion every good
> operating system should provide a standard mean to install and deinstall
> packages.
>
> Probably you'll say that distributions are made for me.... (and btw, yes,
> currently I'm running debian 1.1 beta and I really like it). In my opinion
> these are a great step ahead, but it's not enough. the problem is too
> much fundamental to me, and i think it should be treated with a more
> general solution.
>
> Basically I would like to be able to type something like "setpackage
> libc-5.3.18" before my make install or my tar xvzopf, and the kernel
> would remember for me that any new files it creates are part of this
> package. This would allow for a much more generalistic solution.
>
Nope, this is a user space problem, not a kernel space problem. You
sould (and can) make .dpm's (I think for debian), or .rpm's (for
redhat). They then take care of everything, as it should be.
> please let me know if it's something to work on or not :)
>
You should work on the packageing system, not the kernel. Trying to get
it used on other architectures (ie other unices), and makeing them work
with each others data would be good (ie installing rpm's on a debian box,
or dpm's (still not sure of tha name) on a redhat box). The only problem
would be supporting a non-GPL'd packageing system.
> Michel "Walken" LESPINASSE - Student at Ecole Centrale Paris (France)
Bryn
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