[packaging] LSB Package API

[Denis Washington]

On Sat, 2008-06-21 at 06:59 -0700, Dan Kegel wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 1:32 AM, Denis Washington <dwashington at gmx.net> wrote:
> > Some time ago, it was discussed on an LSB face-to-face meeting that an
> > API should be developed that allows ISVs to install sotware packages
> > which integrate into the package manager - the "Berlin Packaging API".
> > While the idea seemed to be well received, there didn't seem much
> > progress since then
> 
> I dislike that route intensely.  Why, I'm not sure.  Perhaps
> because it encourages ISVs to manage package updates themselves,
> perhaps because it smacks of the complexity of Microsoft's MSI.
> 
> I'm more interested in the single-click install idea Suse's
> working on, since it's much less of an end run around
> normal Linux packaging practices.  And I have a summer intern
> to throw at the problem, so perhaps I'll make some headway on
> it.

The problem I currently see with single-click install is that it still
relies on a single package format (.rpm), so there would have to be
several packages of the same application again. Another particular
problem I see is security: RPM runs as root, so post-install routines
will do so too. That's why I tried to do an architecture that works
without root privileges (in many cases at least). But maybe there are
are already plans how to address this? I must admit I'm not all that
well-informed about SuSE's one-click install.

> Can we move followups to packaging at lists.linux-foundation.org rather
> than cc'ing all those lists?

OK. I wanted to get as many parties as possible on board, but now let's
say: whoever likes to follow this discussion is encouraged to to join
packaging at lists.linux-foundation.org [1]. Follow-ups should only be sent
there.

Regards,
Denis

[1] https://lists.linux-foundation.org/mailman/listinfo/packaging