I would ask that the Install CG and its various contributors consider
sponsoring the following project. We have a functioning prototype
(but we're not complete on all critical features), so we believe that
there's an opportunity to explore a different combination of design
choices around software packaging, and that this effort would be of
interest to the participants of this community group.
Thanks
Stephen
----
pkg
Image Packaging System
Sponsored by the Installation and Packaging CG
Stephen Hahn (sch), Danek Duvall (dduvall), Bart Smaalders (barts),
Johansen (johansen), David Comay (comay)
This project seeks to develop a software packaging system that is able
to update, in a safe and predictable fashion, a variety of software
components across a range of system install contexts. The image
packaging system is intended to solve a collection of software
update-related problems, as outlined in [1 - 5].
The project hopes to be a candidate in the Indiana effort to build an
OpenSolaris-based distribution. The project coordinates with the Caiman
project to produce a new installer architecture for use in OpenSolaris
distributions; the project expects to work with the System V Packaging
Project to amend the latter's software to be more compatible on a system
using image packaging. Coordination with the Zones CG and other
interested projects and CGs is also anticipated.
At present, the project has completed an initial sanity test of its
prototype--installation into a whole root zone--and is ready to invite
others to participate in development.
References
1. S. Hahn, "Observations on packaging", 2007.
http://blogs.sun.com/sch/entry/observations_on_packaging
2. B. Smaalders, "Rethinking Patching", 2007.
http://blogs.sun.com/barts/entry/rethinking_patching
3. S. Hahn, "pkg(1): No more installer magic", 2007.
http://blogs.sun.com/sch/entry/pkg_no_more_installer_magic
4. S. Hahn, "pkg(1): Leaving the build system "out"", 2007.
http://blogs.sun.com/sch/entry/pkg_leaving_the_build_system
5. S. Hahn, "pkg(1): a no scripting zone", 2007.
http://blogs.sun.com/sch/entry/pkg_1_a_no_scripting
--
sch at sun.com http://blogs.sun.com/sch/
