packaging system (was: Re: GCC 3.3.2 kernel)

[ichel Talon]

William Dean DeVries <look_in_message at xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:pan.2003.11.02.07.31.31.787827 at xxxxxxxxxxx: 

>     You know, you could put the needed headers in your source
>     directory, and 
> if the compiler still can't find them I bet you could tell it
> wheretolook. Just a thought.

Yes i know that. This means however spending time editing makefiles and
so on. What i call a pain in the *** 

>     As for splitting packages into 2 or even better 3 parts.
> The port system is redesigned it could be made to have flags
> which would tell it to install the other parts of packages by
> default.  Thus making everyone happy.
>     In regards to having three plist in a packages, having three
>

I am still waiting good arguments why installing the whole stuff on hard
disk causes problem. At present the cheapest disk is around 50 Gigs, in
two or three years the disks will be so big as being practically
infinite. Introducing the smallest complexity or inconvenience for
solving a non problem is in my opinion a major form of stupidity. Even
USB sticks are now up to 1 Gig. It is not the same as when disks were
smaller than 1 Gig and one had to be careful. Being careful today and
introducing a lot of problems for users is really really dumb.

> 
>     I am currently reading this thread and making a wish list of
>     feature 
> for a new package management system.  I will probably post it later. 
> I also plan to look at the features of dpkg discussed here.  I hate
> the system used in freebsd, but like the idea behind it.
> 
>

I would be very happy that you explain us why the ports system is so bad
that you hate it. Personnally i have used it since FreeBSD 2.2.5 and i
have been reasonably happy with it. On the other hand my own experience 
leads me to hate the packaging systems that one finds on Linux distros, 
even on Debian. It is not that i have anything against Linux itself, 
simply that the FreeBSD ports sytem has always worked infinitely better 
for me than what can be found on these distros. The better by far is the
Debian one, and even this one causes more problems than it solves.
In particular, that to make it reasonably safe, the Debian developers 
need to wait a very unreasonable time before updating their stable
version. I prefer any day having recent programs, even with patches,
than waiting three years to get them on a Debian system.