On Thu 07 Dec 2006 10:17:33 NZDT +1300, Jim Cheetham wrote: > > In this case, that means changing my scripts to do this: > > > * Find out if the system is Debian; > * Use dpkg -S to discover which md5sum program was supplied > * Continue normally if it's GNU > * If not, try to locate 20GB disk, etc > * Or prompt the user to install coreutils
Hi Jim, thanks for the most useful answer so far. This is an obvious workaround for a script (I can't quite call it a solution). I like your last step most (being least work for me), however, all Debian systems I have looked at just now (3 of them, one not installed by me) have coreutils already installed. All show dpkg as the package owning /usr/bin/md5sum. If you look at the contents of coreutils you'll see that no Linux system will ever work without it. I am still waiting for someone to answer my core question: what conditions need to be met to get a GNU md5sum installed as /usr/bin/md5sum on Debian 3.1, i.e. what are the steps to achieve this. A beer at The Hop next Tue for the first one with the answer. Another beer for the answer to my second (interest) question. > Writing cross-distro stuff that isn't just "simple" is very difficult. > Perhaps you could package your script for Debian, listing coreutils as > a required dependency? Yes I'll have a go with alien. Listing coreutils as dependency can't be fixing things, it's always already there. > Or include your own private implementation of an > md5 checksum algorithm? I'll pass on that, thanks. :) Not worth my time. > Of course, it's far easier to stamp your feet and call the distro > maintainers childish names. That's bound to motivate them to fix > things for you. There are stupid engineering decisions everywhere, engineers should be able to stand being called up on that or they're working in the wrong field. The pervasiveness of the md5sum stupidity in Debian does not suggest quick action by the distro maintainer(s), but someone mentioned this has finally been changed, which suggests a maintainer agreed with my assessment of the previous state. I note noone in this thread mentioned a good reason (let alone a bad one) for having this md5sum-stupid around in the first place. And no, at no time did I or do I expect Debian maintainers to do anything for me. That wouldn't help with the 3.1 already out anyway, and that's the one I'm looking at now. Btw I'd have a fit at SUSE too if they'd pull an idiotic stunt like this. If you look, you'll see that I have been critical of SUSE-decisions in the past too. Volker -- Volker Kuhlmann is list0570 with the domain in header http://volker.dnsalias.net/ Please do not CC list postings to me.
