On 01/25/2011 02:10 PM, Mike McCarty wrote: > Pursuing the subject of package management, I've been considering > the use more than one of the hints. One hint I've explored somewhat > is the Package User hint. I must admit, that while it's simple, > and attractive, I don't like burdening something which isn't intended > to track packages, namely user names, with that task. However, I do > like the additional security provided by having more or less normal > users rather than root doing maintenance. > > Another idea I like quite a bit, having used it with similar version > control systems and package managers, is using a fake root build, > that is, installing to a destination other than the final one for > test before final install. > > I've been pondering the adavantages of combining the Package User > with the Fake Root, and it appeals to me. > hints/downloads/files/more_control_and_pkg_man.txt > hints/downloads/files/fakeroot.txt > (possibly also crab) > > However, after giving some consideration to the UnionFS Hint, I > wonder whether it might not go one step beyond the Fake Root. > hints/downloads/files/pkg_unionfs.txt > > I see that it's not quite as simple as the author presents, since it > requires kernel patches and significant modifications to the > initialization process. However, it doesn't look all that difficult, > and fairly straightforward. It does require some "holding one's tongue > just right". > > However, I've heard rumors about UnionFS not being quite robust, > and wonder about that. I also note that it hasn't been put in > upstream, nor has its competitor AUFS. > > I'd like to open discussion of relative merits and demerits. I like > the ability to load and unload packages "live", and give things > a test drive before commiting to them. > > I'd like others who have spent some reasonable amount of time thinking > about using the UnionFS approach to comment, both advantages and > disadvantages, and whether AUFS might be better and why. > > Mike I've been pursuing the UnionFS hint quite a bit over the past couple years, though each attempt has either failed or I just never had time to finish it. The biggest problem is that I don't know how to get UnionFS/AUFS available during the Chapter 6 build, though I may have founda way aruond it if I install each package twice, once to its location in /pkgs and once normally, then delete everything outside of /pkgs (with /dev probably being an exception) when done. However, as my university studies keep me busy, I don't actually have time to test this and see if it would work.
As for AUFS vs UnionFS, I think AUFS is far superior to UnionFS to the point where in some distros UnionFS isn't even provided (Arch offers AUFS instead of UnionFS). I don't see any features in UnionFS that it isn't in AUFS. Hope this helps, Smartboy -- http://linuxfromscratch.org/mailman/listinfo/lfs-support FAQ: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/faq.html Unsubscribe: See the above information page
