The State of Package Management

What features/apps/bugfixes needed in a future Puppy

Should Puppy's package format be changed?

Yes, without backwards compatibility.
11
28%
Yes, with backwards compatibility.
10
26%
No, but the PET format should be standardized/stricter.
8
21%
No, the PET format works fine.
10
26%
 
Total votes: 39

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Aitch
Posts: 6518
Joined: Wed 04 Apr 2007, 15:57
Location: Chatham, Kent, UK

#211 Post by Aitch »

Vector linux?...maybe my comment on 18th sparked that...?

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 978#620978

Aitch :)

User avatar
greengeek
Posts: 5789
Joined: Tue 20 Jul 2010, 09:34
Location: Republic of Novo Zelande

#212 Post by greengeek »

Aitch wrote:Vector linux?...maybe my comment on 18th sparked that...?
Actually I was picking up on this:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 0&start=32
Maybe micko was picking up on this:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 0&start=28
So maybe all that came from your comment?

Hows that for a dev/loop?? :-)

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Aitch
Posts: 6518
Joined: Wed 04 Apr 2007, 15:57
Location: Chatham, Kent, UK

#213 Post by Aitch »

I think I was hinting that Barry used to use Vector Dev Tools,'back in the days'....? :wink:

That's a real devloop :D

Aitch :)

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DocSalvage
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat 30 Jun 2012, 18:59
Location: Tallahassee, FL, USA
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#214 Post by DocSalvage »

Am a programmer of 30 years and 30 some languages but new here and new to Puppy so I'll briefly throw in my 1 cent worth...

I've just spent an hour trying to find PupGet and Puppy Basic so I can install unrpm.undeb.pup so I can extract Synergy 1.3.1 .rpm to install it on on Puppy 5.2.2. From this thread, I now see this has probably been folly due to fully understandable incompatibilities. We can't make software better without breaking a few old versions.

However, I wish the current Package Manager included perhaps a link from the main screen to a help page explaining step-by-step what a newbie might do (like finding the source and recompiling) in this situation.

From this thread, it appears that the package manager definitely needs to be more robust. That probably means a rewrite that can't be backward compatible. However, to remain inviting to newcomers, it really needs to guide users to a solution, if there is one, for using software that only exists via what will be 2 obsolete package managers or source. A builtin launcher for Xarchive, make, configure, etc. for those source compiles would be very helpful too.

Puppy Linux is the best *nx I've ever used!

Kudus to Barry and all that keep making it better!

As I continue to convert 6 systems to Puppy, I look forward to many happy [Return]s.

noryb009
Posts: 634
Joined: Sat 20 Mar 2010, 22:28

#215 Post by noryb009 »

Thank you, DocSalvage. You pretty much summarized why the PPM should be remade: if a programmer of 30 years can't install a program within a few minutes (let alone an hour), how can we expect regular users to do so?

Puppy claims to be user friendly, yet programmers can't even install things.
From this thread, I now see this has probably been folly due to fully understandable incompatibilities. We can't make software better without breaking a few old versions.
It's not understandable incompatibilities. Pretty much every other linux distro has a better package manager then Puppy, and you can easily install programs on them.

Puppy is a great distro, but it's package management is it's weakness.

jpeps
Posts: 3179
Joined: Sat 31 May 2008, 19:00

#216 Post by jpeps »

DocSalvage wrote:Am a programmer of 30 years and 30 some languages but new here and new to Puppy so I'll briefly throw in my 1 cent worth...

I've just spent an hour trying to find PupGet and Puppy Basic so I can install unrpm.undeb.pup so I can extract Synergy 1.3.1 .rpm to install it on on Puppy 5.2.2.
unrpm:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
exec rpm2cpio "$@" | cpio -i -d

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DocSalvage
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat 30 Jun 2012, 18:59
Location: Tallahassee, FL, USA
Contact:

#217 Post by DocSalvage »

unrpm:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
exec rpm2cpio "$@" | cpio -i -d
[/quote]


Thanks for the code jpeps!

jpeps
Posts: 3179
Joined: Sat 31 May 2008, 19:00

#218 Post by jpeps »

DocSalvage wrote:unrpm:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
exec rpm2cpio "$@" | cpio -i -d

Thanks for the code jpeps!
welcome to puppy linux :)

Gnuxo
Posts: 365
Joined: Thu 09 Feb 2012, 19:01

#219 Post by Gnuxo »

Thank you for agreeing with me.

I never found the interface in PPM very intuitive.

...And some daily operations in it are tedious.

I'm no programmer but even I can tell that it's missing a few usable features.

One interesting Idea would be to merge PPM and Quickpet/Slickpet into one user friendly interface. I know the PPM is puppy's answer to Synaptic and Quickpet is puppy's software center, treat caterer.

However I'd like to see Quickpet have more applications to view and maybe search Quickpet for applications...

I know it can be done and still keep a small footprint because I trust the ability of the Puppy devs.

bark_bark_bark
Posts: 1885
Joined: Tue 05 Jun 2012, 12:17
Location: Wisconsin USA

#220 Post by bark_bark_bark »

I think the PPM is fine the way it is.
....

disciple
Posts: 6984
Joined: Sun 21 May 2006, 01:46
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

#221 Post by disciple »

bark_bark_bark wrote:I think the PPM is fine the way it is.
So you like the package manager, but do you think there should be an improvement in the package repository, or are you happy with the forum being the de facto repository?
Do you know a good gtkdialog program? Please post a link here

Classic Puppy quotes

ROOT FOREVER
GTK2 FOREVER

bark_bark_bark
Posts: 1885
Joined: Tue 05 Jun 2012, 12:17
Location: Wisconsin USA

#222 Post by bark_bark_bark »

well maybe there should be on going updates for packages in the OFFICIAL repos, while the packages here get signed (by the devs) and added to the repo.
....

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