FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: Package Management System.

["Travis Smith" <sage@xxxxxxxx>]

<snip>
When the users removes the package what will happend with shared files,
or does everything get installed inside one directory for the user, with
shared files installed seperately?
</snip>

Well... Good question. If you look at other package management systems,
there are really three types of packages: system stuff, libs, and apps.
Most of the 'shared' files fall under the libs. I believe they would be
most likely to not be removed often. Maybe have a requirement for share
libraries to have their own package if installed with a program - or
having the program install the library with the program itself. 

<snip>
I'm guessing that for the install there will be a scan of the
dependancies and those also installed if needed, but when I remove the
package how will it know that the given dependancies are only for this
package.

What I mean is if I install package foo and it requires and installs
package bar.  Then when I remove package foo it would also be nice if
package bar is removed if nothing else depends on it.
</snip>

The you will know the package dependences when you remove the package,
so I don't see it an issue to check to see if any other installed
package requires that dependency, and if not ask to remove it.

<snip>
The other suggestion is allow the user to backup the package when they
install it, I like to keep all of the rpms/gz's/bz2's around after I
installed the files in case I need to bring the system up without
internet.  So along with moving the config file to a safe place if the
user wants add the item to their personal repository of software,
possibly putting an entry in their pkg_index.xml file?
</snip>

With how I currently explained that, it would be possible. Just edit the
pkg_index.xml to show the base to be something like
'/boot/beos/packages/'.

Does that answer everything you were asking? 

----
Travis Smith
sage at ieee dot org