[lsb-discuss] PROPOSAL: requiring applications to be provided in RPM packaging format

[Tobias Burnus]

Hi,

On Tue, Sep 30, 2003 at 08:24:55AM -0500, George Kraft wrote:
> "Applications shall either be packaged in the RPM packaging format as
> defined in this specification, or supply an installer which is LSB
> conforming (for example, calls LSB ABIs and commands)."

> "Distributions shall provide a mechanism for installing applications in
> this (RPM) packaging format with some restrictions listed below."

I know installations scripts which call 'rpm' directly to install their
packages (the scripts usually change some settings and ask for the
acceptance of the license). While acknowledging that that 'rpm' is not
a LSB command, does it make sense to add some kind of lsb-rpm command
which can be used to query for an lsb package, update/install/remove
packages? Otherwise we might see a transition from rpms+install script
back to tar.gz+install script, loosing all nifty features for a package
manager (especially rpm -qf / dpkg -S).

Tobias