Re: Getting Red Hat menus visible in Garnome??

["Paul Smith" <psmith nortel com>]

%% "Joseph E. Sacco, PhD" <joseph_sacco comcast net> writes:

  jesp> Python 2.2 ???  Hmmm....  The problem/solution to using "stable"
  jesp> GARNOME-2.10.x on an older system that is missing some of the
  jesp> requisite tools is updating the minimal set of required tools.

Yep, as I discovered.  I wrote about this in my RH8 install notes I
sent to the list yesterday.

  jesp> If that set is small, you have two choices:

  jesp>         * update the SYSTEM version of that set of tools, 
  jesp>         which can certainly be more bother than it's worth.

My main goal here is to generate a garnome tarball that any user (at
least at my company :-)) can plop down and unpack on his/her local
system and start using _WITHOUT_ having any root access
whatsoever... because a good percentage of our users don't have that
access.  Also, by avoiding any changes to the basic system we can avoid
issues with the IS folks, etc. who control these things.

This model of deployment completely precludes any updates of the system
versions of anything, so I didn't go that route.
        
  jesp>         * install that set of tools under GARNOME install-root 

Yes, this would be the plan.

  jesp> If a more recent version of python is the only tool you are
  jesp> missing, I would fetch a binary package and install it under the
  jesp> GARNOME install-root and roll onwards...

Hm.  I always thought Python had hardcoded directories and as such,
needed to be installed in a well-known place.  Maybe these are
overridable via the environment?

In general, installing most binary packages anywhere OTHER than where
they were built to be installed is difficult.

  jesp> The GARNOME project is staffed only by volunteers.  That being said,
  jesp> there are some things that we all would like to see in the "stable"
  jesp> release:

  jesp> * A pre-install script that sniffs around and tells you what you are
  jesp> missing.

  jesp> * a flawless build process that is launched by a single command.

  jesp> * a post-install script that sets up a "reasonable" environment.

Mm.  Yes, that would be good.  The biggest problem you're facing is the
huge number of different distributions, versions of those distributions,
etc. most of which will do things slightly differently and have
different needs and requirements.

However, it should be possible to make a start... if you can make use of
the 80/20 rule you'd be that much further ahead.

See my notes yesterday for some input.

-- 
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 Paul D. Smith <psmith nortel com>           HASMAT--HA Software Mthds & Tools
 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist
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