This would be worth taking a look at, I think. I cannot do so myself.
From: Hans Aberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Features: Scroll wheel/ball, right bar Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 08:07:22 +0100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.746.2) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on monty-python X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=no version=2.63 On 8 Dec 2005, at 05:54, Richard M. Stallman wrote: > I think that a Linux variation of the Fink <http:// > fink.sourceforge.net/> install/deinstall system > > I took a brief look at that site, but I could not see anything about > an "install/deinstall system". Could you please send me whatever > text you think I should read? It is very hard to understand what it is all about without trying, so I would you think you need to get hold of somebody who can show it to you on a Mac to actually see how it works (also see below). I was myself very skeptical about it, thinking traditional installs would be the only right way, and although I have had it for six months on my computer, I did not use it. But when I now tried it for only two installs, emacs21 and xboard/crafty (rated at about ELO 2600), it is indeed very impressive in the category of ease of use. The underlying point is that its install scripts are very powerful, I think written in Perl. This is then combined with a GUI, called FinkCommander, so that one does not have to do console commands for the installs, updates and deinstalls. > Meanwhile, what would be meant by a "Linux variation" of that > install/deinstall system? What does an install/deinstall system have > to do with the kernel? Fink is just a regular program that has the capacity to download programs automatically over the Internet in binary or source form, and make sure it gets properly installed, via FinkCommander by means of a click in a GUI, keeping track of package dependencies in the process, and one can equally easily deinstall programs. It can also check for updates of latest versions. There is currently a list of 1938 packages listed in the window on my computer, from which I can read package info, go to package documentation, or choose to immediately install if I so which, plus more. The installed stuff is put into a special directory /sw/, which does not touch anything else. So one can easily take the whole Fink installation away by merely removing this directory, or reinstall it at need. The whole point is the tremendous ease if use: if a binary is available, one can get that one, which is provides a very quick install. If no binary is available, more common on later program versions, one can get down the sources and get it compiled, with automatic tracking of package dependencies. The user needs thus not do any real hands-on install work. A bottleneck, though, is that packages need to be adapted to work with Fink. Therefore it does not replace traditional installs or CVS versions. But even if one needs how to do traditional installs, Fink is convenient if one just wants to run a program without wanting to do the regular install chores. One can then move on to traditional installs at need. ------- Start of forwarded message ------- In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: Hans Aberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Features: Scroll wheel/ball, right bar Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 14:17:30 +0100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on monty-python X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=no version=2.63 [Please do not bother replying to every letter I send you now, because I am just dropping off some inputs for you to sort out what is useful to you, so that I can move on with my own stuff, not keeping this stuff overly on my mind. I will attempt answer whatever questions you may have, though.] > I think that a Linux variation of the Fink <http:// > fink.sourceforge.net/> install/deinstall system > > I took a brief look at that site, but I could not see anything about > an "install/deinstall system". Could you please send me whatever > text you think I should read? From the point of view of a GUN system/Linux installation, Fink is a regular UNIX program and the sources are available at <http:// fink.sourceforge.net/download/srcdist.php?phpLang=en>, though they probably must be adapted to work on a UNIX different from that of Mac OS X. On top of that, for ease of use, is a GUI oriented program, FinkCommander <http://finkcommander.sourceforge.net/>, but what it does probably can be easily programmed in Emacs, in a tools package (like Gnus, Mail, etc), as the essential parts only call the UNIX program "fink". As mentioned before, Fink handles software installs/ deinstalls/updates, with dependencies, via Internet, into a directory /sw/. That is about it: what cannot be seen from this description is the impressive ease of use, which can only be experienced. Hans Aberg ------- End of forwarded message ------- _______________________________________________ gnu-system-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-system-discuss
