Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 18:13:23 -0700 From: Wes Peters <wes@softweyr.com> To: Doug Barton <DougB@FreeBSD.org> Cc: Dag-Erling Smorgrav <des@ofug.org>, Dan Moschuk <dan@FreeBSD.org>, arch@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Package system flaws? Message-ID: <3D2E2D33.D09B8F16@softweyr.com> References: <20020709233503.I5990-100000@master.gorean.org>
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Doug Barton wrote:
>
> On Mon, 8 Jul 2002, Wes Peters wrote:
>
> > Doug Barton wrote:
> > >
> > > On Sun, 7 Jul 2002, Terry Lambert wrote:
> > >
> > > > > We want to be able to install a package from a non-rewindable source
> > > > > without storing a temporary copy on disk. This means the metadata
> > > > > must without fail be at the very beginning of the package.
> > >
> > > Ok, then what about storing the meta data as a seperate file? Why do they
> > > have to be in the same package?
> >
> > So you can (md5, sign) them together and know that they "apply" to each
> > other.
>
> If we limit the metadata properly (for my definition of "proper") there
> won't be anything that needs to be verified. The metadata file should of
> course include the md5 of the package(s) it applies to directly.
I'm coming around to your viewpoint. We can write the metadata to have
external references to binary filesets, and even to the source, patches,
and Makefiles that make up the "port." Filesets can be signed so we can
verify they are the correct contents and weren't tampered with in
transmission.
This would allow us to update the metadata files in the same way ports
are updated now, using CVSup, keeping the packages system up to date.
Only the filesets that have actually changed need be downloaded to
upgrade to a newer package. This would also allow the user to skip
filesets she doesn't need, such as support for languages not comprehended
or binaries for platforms not present. This would even allow OpenBSD
users to skip the installation of man pages, so long as the package
creator is clever enough to package the man pages in a separate fileset.
--
"Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?"
Wes Peters Softweyr LLC
wes@softweyr.com http://softweyr.com/
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