From: dws@cseg03.uark.edu (David W. Summers) Subject: Re: Discussion: FS tree for large packages Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 22:26:47 GMT
wirzeniu@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Lars Wirzenius) writes:
>jbthiel@ogicse.ogi.edu (John B. Thiel) discusses various approaches to
>where large packages should be installed.
>
>There are two approaches when deciding where programs should go during
>installation: 1) maintain compatibility with other systems and
>familiarity for users, and 2) do it "right", even if it is different
>from everybody else.
>
>There are undoubtedly a large number of people on either both side. I
>personally lean towards the traditional approach, since it leads to
>fewer problems when porting programs, and also because putting packages
>into lots of different places leads to huge PATHs, MANPATHs, info-paths
>(for GNU info), etc.
>
>I would personally prefer to have a scheme where packages are installed
>in such a way that all installed files are logged into a database, which
>can be used during uninstallation to decide which files should be
>deleted. I have played around with a few ideas to implement this, but
>don't have the time to make it work properly.
>
>--
>Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (finger wirzeniu@klaava.helsinki.fi)
This (database) sounds like a good idea to me.
Here is another thought:
I haven't tried it yet, but SunOS has a "Translucent File System" where
multiple directories can be "stacked on top" of each other and made to
look like one directory.
Maybe something like this could be implemented and then each directory
that has information for a certain package (bin,lib,etc, and etcetera)
could be stacked on top of or below the original file system directories?
Is this feasible?
- David Summers
(dws@engr.uark.edu)
**** Great Ideas, waiting to be shot down.... ****
--
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