Am Montag, 22. November 2004 12.32 schrieb Rumen Krasstev: Morning once again
BTW: You don't have to CC: me, I'm on the list. > > > I'm doing big efforts last 6 months (since SuSe v 9.1 - I had > > > information for future gpl-ing of yast) to do this - port Yast2 for > > > Debian. I'm playing with the code these last months and I can give you > > > some advices - it's appear to be not so trivial task :-/ > > > > Very interesting and realistiv. But nonetheless do you think too that > > it's possible to port it, am I right? > > Yes, definitely it is possible.. Just I'm starting to think that YaST is > not only complex system for administration and configuration - it is most > importrant part of the core of the system the we call SuSe Linux. Why? When > I digging into the code more and more times it appears that in the begging > (before 7 years) YaST was planned as multiplatform modular system, which is > upgraded meanwhile to specific SuSe problems. That's why in so many places > in the code there is relations (unnecessary, for me) to specific SuSe tools > and issues... For instance the package manager - the core system depends of > it, which is ridiculous for me - the rpm system is everywhere :-/ > So in general - we trying to port SuSe to Debian - that's it Ouu, that's an interesting task ;-)). > :-)))))))))) The scissors will play really serious if we want to succeed > :-)))) > : > > Another question: Is there already source code which we can see? > > I guess you would be happy of german mirror so here you are: > http://www.suse.de/de/private/download/ftp/inland.html > your right directory is /i386/9.2/suse/src/ (for example)... Oh, we missunderstood. I meant the code you changed (see below). I already downloaded the source code but I'm not the best developer ;-). > After that it's going more and more hard.. I'll write these days deep > documentation how to dial with this madness :-)))))) Good to hear. > > > 1. Yast2 don't even wish to compile under Debian - there are to many > > > dependencies, some of them not available to Debian, such as rpm 4.1.1 > > > (in unstable it's 4.0.4) - rpm is a complex program and don't want to > > > compile too.. Dependencies between packages are so bad, that one can > > > compile/port only packages with documentations and some basic stuff. > > > I've some progress in this but I can't still compile the hole yast :((( > > > > Ok. Is your code publicly accessible? > > There is no code... yet :((( The first step is to compile the YaST core - > so the major problem (as I mentioned before) is rpm 4.1.1 - > now I'm trying to lie him that 4.04 (from unstable) is enough useful - so > I'm patching the automake/autoconf scripts, but for now without good result > :-/ Another (much better) solution is to remove all the code which require > rpm - that is much more harder work and because I'm doing this in my free > time (which is not so much - my job just suck my out :( I chose the easier > solution - if the maintainer of Debian's "rpm" package (Anibal Monsalve > Salazar) release 4.1.1 we have big chances to pass this step... My biggest > problem is... free time :(((( Did you get in contact with Anibal? And wouldn't it be easier (in a long way) to change the rpm stuff to dpkg/apt stuff as you said yourself? Is it worth to spend the time with rpm in your opinion? > > > 2. Even with successfully compilation it's impossible to use this > > > version of Yast in Debian - there are too many differences between SuSe > > > and Debian in architectural level. For example almost all > > > configurations in YaST2 are made in directory sysconfig which is not > > > LSB1/2 compatible, furthermore there are too many config files with > > > custom names, like timezone, firewall, etc. So in general using this > > > version of Yast will make your system unpredictable :( > > > > Ok. So we have to make huge modifications. > > Indeed.. The problem is these modifications are related to the core - so > only experienced C/C++ developers can manage these (I can but with this > tempo I'll finish after year :( I think the other two developers (Jaldhar and Ramon) are good C/C++ programmer. > > > 3. Fortunatly the guys in SuSe made Yast (technologically) very mature > > > - it's totally modular and have 3 different independent levels (layers) > > > - representative (QT, curses and the new one GTK+), module (ex: > > > firewall, proxy, dns server, samba, etc.) and configuration files.. > > > This is a long story but i could tell you in general how it works - the > > > modules are written in abstract custom (4th level) language - something > > > between C and Prolog (for example) - there is a parser which translate > > > this language to C.. For example you want a window and type > > > window.open(parameters) and it translate it to GTK or curses or QT API > > > in C.. Every checkbox, listbox, button and so on is described like > > > this.. All places that needs name of file/directory is replaced by > > > abstract global variable, which is described in separated file (.scp) - > > > so it should be enough to edit these .scp to be compliant with Debian > > > for every module and probably after many tests/debugs it will work.. > > > ... > > > > Very interesting. > > Note, that every not so simple module (for instance mail server) requires > specific knowledge - I mean for some things only experienced administrators > (not developers like me) can tell us where is the "under_water_stones"... > For example Debian's maintainer of "squid" can help us so much with porting > the YaST's "squid" module.. IC, but these are problems for the future. AIUY we should now concentrate on the core. Let's get to compile YaST2. > > > There is other problems, but I described only majors - the compilation > > > and the transformation of the .scp > > > So.. If somebody wants to helps me I can write him deep explanation how > > > it works (it is very complex and big system believe me).. > > > > I think we are interesting and it would be a pleasure for us if you could > > help us. So we are really interested in a deeper explanation. > > I will - it is my first priority open source project that, I spend my > free time, but we need much more stronger organisation if we want to > finish as soon as possible - for instance web site (even simple is > enough), mail list, bug tracker, cvs server, etc.. Of course there is > SourceForge - but I'm not sure will it be enough? IC, that's why I wanted to make an alioth project. Is it ok for you if I set up a project on alioth with all the needed thinks (mailinglist, cvs server, etc.)? > > > In this meaning I thing for this project a team of 3-4 people and 6-9 > > > months probably will be enough... > > > > Ok. We are 3-4 persons and with a goal in sight YaST2 will become > > reality. > > Yeah, this give me a new hope :-))))))))) Nice to hear ;-) > Cheers > Rumen thx Mario PS: Did you get in contact with some people of Novell? See my other mail.
