[packaging] Meeting next week to discuss trusted third-party repositories

[Peter Dolding]

On Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 1:48 PM, Dan Kegel <dank at kegel.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 5:13 PM, Yfrwlf <swiftpaw22 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> That'd be nice, we all wish it'd been done long ago, that a major push for
>> at least one good cross-distro packaging system/format/API/standard would
>> have been developed already.  Until it happens though, at least Thomas
>> Leonard has stepped up to the plate with Zero Install to get it done even if
>> it's not a low-level solution (replacing, integrated with, etc, the existing
>> managers) (yet).
>
> But it's moot, because users demand exactly
>   "apt-get install google-sketchup".
>
>> I always assumed package manager developers just weren't
>> interested in such a solution but perhaps it's just a matter of
>> communication lasting long enough to work something out.
>
> 0install's whole premise - that one should not need to be root to install -
> is misguided.  Ubuntu's approach - making it easier but not too easy
> to get root - suffices.
>
> The very last thing ISVs want is yet another package format.
> - Dan
>
You have missed something important.  Over the next few years
packagekit will become more the normal.

So as long as whatever gets to top of stack is integrated into
packagekit most users will not know the difference.  There is no
particular reason to care about apt yum or other management systems if
they will not do the requirements of ISV's or admins.  User interface
bit is already sorted out.   Now if distributions still had control of
the end user interface we might have to consider using theirs.

Yes packagekit alteration is coming threw all distributions as well.
So users will not have to be root on them either to use packagekit as
long as the application they are using is approved to install.  So
times of root required to install is already over.

General users coming from windows to Linux don't want to use command
line tools.   Tell a windows user to do  "apt-get install
google-sketchup" and they will not want to.    Adding repos is also a
major head ache for them.

Even as a system admin I don't really care if its apt yum or what ever
as long as I can control it preferable from 1 interface no matter the
Distribution.  Ie packagekit kicks all the other interfaces for
package mangement dead because I only have to learn 1 interface with
it.  0intall improves for backend no reason why we will not just back
it.

Distributions developers have to start coming up with something that
works correctly.  Not just that is impossible answers.

Number 1 advantage of 0install is that for distributions that decide
not to support LSB applications can still be sent to those platforms.
 If we create a packaging format and we cannot install it everywhere
its a paper weight.   Not all distributions have package managers.

Peter Dolding