Re: Debian source tree and incremental diffs question..
Dale Scheetz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > On Tue, 7 Jan 1997, Richard Jones wrote: > > > > Yup, I think that maybe my original message wasn't too clear. What I > > was trying to get at was, when a new upstream release is made and this > > filters down the stream to a Debian package, will the Debian maintainer > > simply replace the old xxx.orig.tar.gz with the new upstream version and > > update the xxx.diff.gz file accordingly, or will a source patch be made > > available to update the old xxx.orig.tar.gz to the new upstream version > > (I know some upstream maintainers supply such patches , but by no means > > all). On most updated releases such a patch will be orders of magnitude > > smaller than a fresh version of the full upstream version. Once again I > > apologise if I'm stating/restating the obvious here. > > > Sorry, diffs between upstream source releases are not provided. Although, > if you have the diff, you could certainly use it to create your own "new" > upstream source and unpack it using the above process. > Does anyone else think it would be a good idea for the individual Debian package maintainers distributing source diffs to the packages they maintain when a new upstream release leads to a change in the Debian package? I can see such a system having several advantages. Two I can think of off the top of my head are: 1) Massive bandwidth savings for a modest tradeoff in mirror site storage overhead. Source diffs are generally many times smaller than an entire package especially when the changes involve small bug fixes between minor releases. I'm unsure of others situations but in my environment the one-time cost of the storage needed to store the source-tree locally is much smaller than the ongoing costs (in both time and money) for the bandwidth required to download complete packages, which may only reflect several K or even several bytes worth of changes to the original source. 2) Ease of people at the Debian user level ascertaining the cause of bugs. If a user chooses to update using diffs to the upstream source then if something breaks that wasn't broken before the update the diff allows them to determine more precisely what the problem may be. (as an aside, from the security paranoia perspective, if a bogus evil update entered the tree or if a site had to be extra careful about what they let onto their system, the source diff option adds an ideal upgrade route ). > > > > Just out of interest is there something along the lines of dftp-source, > > or dpkg-source-ftp? > > > Nope. Hmmm, if the above idea caught on these would prolly be near essential I'd guess. > > Luck, > -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Debian source tree and incremental diffs question..
On Tue, 7 Jan 1997, Richard Jones wrote: > > Dale Scheetz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > > That said, you are referring to the new source package format, which has > > many nice features, most notably the one you referred to. > > First, not all packages have been converted to the new source format, so > > you will see some packages in the old format. (I am going to assume that > > everyone knows how the old format worked) > > > > The new format consists of a source tree in package_xxx.orig.tar.gz that > > unpacks into a source tree as nearly identical to that provided by the > > upstream provider as is possible; a diff.gz file containing the > > differences between this source and the debianized version of the tree; > > and a "Debian Source Control" file .dsc that will tell the packaging tools > > how to unpack the source file. > > > > Yup, I think that maybe my original message wasn't too clear. What I > was trying to get at was, when a new upstream release is made and this > filters down the stream to a Debian package, will the Debian maintainer > simply replace the old xxx.orig.tar.gz with the new upstream version and > update the xxx.diff.gz file accordingly, or will a source patch be made > available to update the old xxx.orig.tar.gz to the new upstream version > (I know some upstream maintainers supply such patches , but by no means > all). On most updated releases such a patch will be orders of magnitude > smaller than a fresh version of the full upstream version. Once again I > apologise if I'm stating/restating the obvious here. > Sorry, diffs between upstream source releases are not provided. Although, if you have the diff, you could certainly use it to create your own "new" upstream source and unpack it using the above process. > > If you have installed the dpkg and dpkg-dev packages, more recent that > > 1.4.0 you will be able to unpack the source using these files with the > > following command: > > > > dpkg-source -x package_.dsc > > > > in the directory containing the orig.tar.gz, diff, and dsc files. This > > will generate a source tree you can build with: > > > > dpkg-buildpackage > > > > Just out of interest is there something along the lines of dftp-source, > or dpkg-source-ftp? > Nope. Luck, Dwarf -- aka Dale Scheetz Phone: 1 (904) 656-9769 Flexible Software 11000 McCrackin Road e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tallahassee, FL 32308 If you don't see what you want, just ask -- -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Debian source tree and incremental diffs question..
Dale Scheetz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > On Tue, 7 Jan 1997, Richard Jones wrote: > > > > > Hiya, i thought I saw someone mention that upgrades to existing > > packages were available via diffs to the source. Thus allowing the download > > of just the diff rather than the entire .orig source ( assuming of > > course you have the source to the original package online). Now I > > checked out the FAQ and a few other places and see no mention of this. > > If this feature is available can someone tell me where I can read about > > it, if it isn't is something like this (or perhaps even something > > similar to FreeBSD's CVS upgrade system) likely to become available? > > > First, let me make clear that we are not talking about upgrading binary > packages here. This is strictly a source packaging issue. > Yup, that is understood. > That said, you are referring to the new source package format, which has > many nice features, most notably the one you referred to. > First, not all packages have been converted to the new source format, so > you will see some packages in the old format. (I am going to assume that > everyone knows how the old format worked) > > The new format consists of a source tree in package_xxx.orig.tar.gz that > unpacks into a source tree as nearly identical to that provided by the > upstream provider as is possible; a diff.gz file containing the > differences between this source and the debianized version of the tree; > and a "Debian Source Control" file .dsc that will tell the packaging tools > how to unpack the source file. > Yup, I think that maybe my original message wasn't too clear. What I was trying to get at was, when a new upstream release is made and this filters down the stream to a Debian package, will the Debian maintainer simply replace the old xxx.orig.tar.gz with the new upstream version and update the xxx.diff.gz file accordingly, or will a source patch be made available to update the old xxx.orig.tar.gz to the new upstream version (I know some upstream maintainers supply such patches , but by no means all). On most updated releases such a patch will be orders of magnitude smaller than a fresh version of the full upstream version. Once again I apologise if I'm stating/restating the obvious here. > If you have installed the dpkg and dpkg-dev packages, more recent that > 1.4.0 you will be able to unpack the source using these files with the > following command: > > dpkg-source -x package_.dsc > > in the directory containing the orig.tar.gz, diff, and dsc files. This > will generate a source tree you can build with: > > dpkg-buildpackage > Just out of interest is there something along the lines of dftp-source, or dpkg-source-ftp? Richard Jones -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Debian source tree and incremental diffs question..
Richard Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Hiya, i thought I saw someone mention that upgrades to existing > packages were available via diffs to the source. debian/doc/source-unpack.txt on any mirror. Guy -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Debian source tree and incremental diffs question..
On Tue, 7 Jan 1997, Richard Jones wrote: > > Hiya, i thought I saw someone mention that upgrades to existing > packages were available via diffs to the source. Thus allowing the download > of just the diff rather than the entire .orig source ( assuming of > course you have the source to the original package online). Now I > checked out the FAQ and a few other places and see no mention of this. > If this feature is available can someone tell me where I can read about > it, if it isn't is something like this (or perhaps even something > similar to FreeBSD's CVS upgrade system) likely to become available? > First, let me make clear that we are not talking about upgrading binary packages here. This is strictly a source packaging issue. That said, you are referring to the new source package format, which has many nice features, most notably the one you referred to. First, not all packages have been converted to the new source format, so you will see some packages in the old format. (I am going to assume that everyone knows how the old format worked) The new format consists of a source tree in package_xxx.orig.tar.gz that unpacks into a source tree as nearly identical to that provided by the upstream provider as is possible; a diff.gz file containing the differences between this source and the debianized version of the tree; and a "Debian Source Control" file .dsc that will tell the packaging tools how to unpack the source file. If you have installed the dpkg and dpkg-dev packages, more recent that 1.4.0 you will be able to unpack the source using these files with the following command: dpkg-source -x package_.dsc in the directory containing the orig.tar.gz, diff, and dsc files. This will generate a source tree you can build with: dpkg-buildpackage Hope this helps, Dwarf -- aka Dale Scheetz Phone: 1 (904) 656-9769 Flexible Software 11000 McCrackin Road e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tallahassee, FL 32308 If you don't see what you want, just ask -- -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Debian source tree and incremental diffs question..
Hiya, i thought I saw someone mention that upgrades to existing packages were available via diffs to the source. Thus allowing the download of just the diff rather than the entire .orig source ( assuming of course you have the source to the original package online). Now I checked out the FAQ and a few other places and see no mention of this. If this feature is available can someone tell me where I can read about it, if it isn't is something like this (or perhaps even something similar to FreeBSD's CVS upgrade system) likely to become available? Richard Jones -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
