RPM Loader Script - V0.1

[Adi Linden]

Hi Ralph,

> > Here's what I am doing. I'd like PeeWeeLinux to become a platform that can
> > be build entirely from sources. My goal would be a distibution where you
> > can run a single script to build all packages from sources.
> 
> ?? 
> If the optimized list of files for an RPM are manually generated, the package
> files created by pwl_rpmloader *should* be close in size to the manually
> compiled files (+ 10% maybe).

Unless you need to include additional libs that are purposely left out of
PWL.

> The problem is removing dependencies (link ncurses, pam) - these have to
> be "compiled out".
> ??
> Is that a reasonable summary ?? Hmmmm...

Correct.

> If we have to use the source tars (w/o RH patches) to get rid of
> the pam secuirity and whatever else, thats no problem for me. However,
> actually compiling the programs I'd rather not do if I don't have to...
> but then, I'm not counting bytes here, only Mega bytes....A truely
> memory restrained embedded system might be more concerned with size.

The compile process would only have to be once, to build the package. The
PeeWeeLinux binary distribution includes all the pre-compiled binaries
within the packages.

But all PeeWeeLinux packages should be build from source tar balls or
source rpms, I think. None of the copying from a running system or a
binary rpm.

> Yep, and as more and more people build packages (Hey, my package is 
> smaller than YOUR package!) the package sources will continue to grow
> in number and shrink in size :-)

There is only so much you can do as far as size is concerned without
starting to cut on the functionality. But as people compile there 'own'
packages and contribute those the list of available, supported packages
should grow.

I think the key to that happening is to have a well defined and documented
process of how to create a PeeWeeLinux package.

So as far as creating packages is concerned this has become a rather
urgent thing to be decided on. Since the build process for packages should
be reproduceable. So here is what needs to be done:

Raw Sources           --->  PeeWeeLinux Sources
PeeWeeLinux Sources   --->  PeeWeeLinux Binaries
PeeWeeLinux Binaries  --->  PeeWeeLinux Packages

1. What do we use for Raw sources?
  a. Source tarballs
     We can extract the tarballs from Redhat source rpms where
     source rpms exist.
  b. Redhat RPMS
     Where source rpms don't exist we have to create either
     Redhat RPMS or Source RPMS first

2. Do we create and keep PeeWeeLinux sources (already patched
   and ready to compile?). Or do we keep the original sources
   and apply PeeWeeLinux patches?

3. Do we create PeeWeeLinux tar packages or PeeWeeLinux rpms
   (both binaries)?

> > Yup, it's a painstaking manual
> > process. Scripting would be a bit of a pain since you would need a custom
> > script for each package. It makes reproducing the package easier. But
> > then, that why I did PWL in the very beginning, so I didn't have to do the
> > manual prosess of selecting and stripping executables and checking for
> > dependencies every single time I build a project.
> 
> The key here is that this *painful process* need only be done once...

That's correct. But what we use to start with and what it results in
should be well defined. I looked at the Linux Router Project and I thought
making LPR packages is a mess. I don't want the same for PeeWeeLinux.

The easier the process is to follow the more likely people will contribute
a complete set of sources/patches/binaries for PeeWeeLinux...

> Is it time to start to ask for help / Announce Pee Wee to a 
> bunch of news groups /mailing lists ?? (Pee Wee Comes out of the closet!)

It's still far from a plug-and-play solution. I think I'd rather stick to
announcing updates on freshmeat for now.

> Maybe after I integrate the package stuff and the ram disk stuff...and
> we get a few projects working...of course, we can always come up with 
> more features...We need a marketing guy to say STOP, SHIP it NOW!:-)
> 
> "Software programs are never finished...only abandoned"

I think it'll be never finished. But the framework needs to be
established.

> > PeeWeeLinux has met it's original goal of why I build it. I still think
> > that it's worthwhile to develop it further by automating the build from
> > sources once the original build has been done. That would also make it
> > possible to establish guidelines for contributed packages and what's
> > expected from them....
> > 
> Hmmm... a true "raw" distribution...sounds tough, but if we have patch
> files, ftp sites...doesn't sound too hard (just send me your patches!).

The question is do I want the hassle of making it distribution
independent? I think if someone wants to compile it on Caldera they're on
their own to make it work but share the results and create a PeeWeeLinux
for Caldera :)

Since the system is build on Redhat 6.1 it's dependednt on the installed
libs, etc. So the development system as far as compiling anything is a
Redhat 6.1.

> > The nice thin about Redhat rpms is they compile as is. With orignal tar
> > balls quite often they have to be 'fixed' before they will compile....
> > 
> Geeze, thats handy!

Yup.

TTYL,
Adi

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