On 03/16/11 02:09 AM, Robert Milkowski wrote:
Then perhaps there should be an image install concept similar to flash
archives. This could greatly improve performance.
If such functionality is provided, it won't be by the packaging system.
Or maybe pkg/depo should be able to pre-compute images of defined
packages so then instead of transferring file-by-file entire image
would be transferred.
It cannot; the client has to determine what is wants to retrieve since only the
client has a picture of all of the possible packages involved in the operation.
Remember that the server is also relatively dumb, it could actually be an
Apache process; not pkg.depotd(1M).
I know, but since you need to put into AI profile what you want to install
instead of specifying individual packages one should be able to specify an
image instead.
Of course such an image would have to be pre-computed based on a list of
packages and facets to be included.
What you propose sounds less like packaging and more like giant tarballs
that are extracted into place. In which case, I'd say again that pkg(5)
is not the tool you're looking for.
Something like: create a meta package called server-core and then 'pkg
compute-image server-core' which would create a tar-like archive on
the server. Then if a client needs a full copy of the core-server
meta-package it could negotiate with server and transfer pre-computed
images instead of a file-by-file for each package. For ad-hoc package
install/upgrade it could transfer it using the current method. When an
image is created one should be able to specify what should be included
in it (what architectures/facets, etc.).
This is actually what the package server used to do, but it turned out it was
the wrong answer for a number of reasons I really don't want to take the
time to get into.
I guess it did it dynamically. I'm talking here about automated installs and
such images should be *pre-built* in advance and then AI should unpack them if
that's what specified in the configuration.
Some sites each time they install an OS they pick latest version + all
patches/updates at the time of installation. But then other sites they actually
internally certify a specific, frozen in time internal release and then each
time you install you are only allowed to install one of the internal certified
releases.
Yes, it was dynamic. What you're talking about is more like the old
flash archives, in which case, again, not really a packaging technology.
You'll have to discuss such a need with the install team. I can only
comment on the package system.
-Shawn
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