Re: Debian and SimplyGNUstep

[Chad Hardin]

On Wednesday, October 8, 2003, at 12:31 PM, Matthias Klose wrote:

> Adam Fedor wrote:
> > Sounds cool to me. I'd like to see an easy-to-install and/or
> > pre-compiled collection of GNUstep apps and libraries.
>
> Doesn't sound cool at all.
>
> - Debian does have "an easy-to-install and/or pre-compiled collection
>   of GNUstep apps and libraries". Why another set?


Because the install locations are not ideal for a user-centered GNUstep 
based desktop system.
That's the main reason.
GNUstep really doesn't fit into the FHS mode.  With KDE and GNOME you 
can "hide" the actual program file locations with their (yucky) "Start" 
menu type system.  GNUstep has no concept, you launch programs by 
double-clicking the actual Application itself, not via some "Start" 
menu abstraction.

You can't expect the typical user to launch Applications by going to 
/usr/lib/GNUstep/System/Applications, that just won't happen.  Plus, 
even expereince users probably wouldn't want to do that.

Much easier to simply go to /Applications or /System/Applications and 
launch your app.

> - assume he makes his packages for one architecture, he's missing
>   six other archs.

Shouldn't the .dsc sources I'm creating be able to be made into binary 
packages of any architecture?  I'm brand new to Debian package making, 
but this seems to be the case.


> The thing he doesn't like are the unusual/unfriendly places (called
> the Unix File System Hierarchy (FHS)). Some time before the KDE people
> didn't like, now someone from the GNUstep community doesn't like
> it. If you know of a better schema which fits the FHS, please let us
> know.

FHS is great for the typical UNIX system, and I don't want to change it 
all, with the exception of the GNUstep stuff.


> Currently, the gnustep related packages are mostly maintained by Eric
> Heintzmann (not yet a Debian developer, but sponsored by another
> developer).

I'm basing my packages on the actual Debian ones, just some minor 
tweaks to change the install directories.  I've also added a sgstep- 
prefix so the packae names do not conflict the the Debian GNUstep 
package names (eg: sgstep-gnustep-gui)



>         Matthias
>
> On Sunday, October 5, 2003, at 09:30 PM, Chad Hardin wrote:
> > The burden of creating a completely new dsitro, by my self :-(, has
> > become way too hard. At the current pace it simply would never get
> > done!
> >
> >
> > So, I've decided to go on a new route:
> >
> > I'm gonna make it a Debian Sarge based distro. Not a fork, just
> > regular Debian with extra packages and a different install disc. There
> > already is some gnustep deb stuff, but the Debian filesystem rules
> > makes it strange because the gnustep stuff get's installed in strange
> > places, as many of you know. I plan on making gnustep .deb packages
> > which install in more user-friendly places, like /System, /Network,
> > etc.
> >
> > Right now I'm making a .deb called sgstep-gnustep-make, which installs
> > in / and of course allows applications to be installed there too. I'm
> > thinking this is the only SGSTEp specific .dsc I'l have to make, since
> > the other .dscs will build and install according to whatever makefile
> > package builder's current gnustep-make has in place.
> >
> > My hope is that once this is done, I can start making all kinds of
> > other gnustep .dsc's which will work on both regular Debian and
> > SGSTEP. hopefully I can start maintainging a lot of Debian GNUstep
> > stuff.
> >
> >
> > So, my question is, is this cool? Does anybody mind me becoming a
> > Debian package maintainer for most (all?) gnustep stuff out there? I'm
> > up to it.
>
> what do you mean by "becoming a Debian package maintainer"? you are
> free to provide any packages for the Debian distribution. If you want
> to become a Debian developer, apply as a new maintainer at debian.org,
> provided you are willing to work with the current Debian package
> maintainers and follow Debian guidelines and policies.
>
>
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