alien, packaging, etc. Re: Simplifying package installation.

["Jeffrey W. Bizzaro" <jeff theopenlab uml edu>]

Krishna,

This is pretty much the goal of the Loci Project, although the components would not be so low-level:

    http://theopenlab.uml.edu/loci/

At the moment we are planning on using RPM for component installation/registration.  So this discussion and your ideas are very relevant to Loci.

And since Loci will be be THOROUGHLY a gnome-based project, making extensive use of its libraries, I openly invite gnome developers to join and/or make suggestions.


Cheers.
Jeff


"Krishna E. Bera" wrote:
> 
> All this discussion about packages and application installs
> makes me wonder if i've understood the ideas behind the GNOME.
> 
> I thought the point of CORBA was that you have lots
> of Components, sitting wherever, written by whomever,
> and they are transparently called into service by the ORB
> according to Criteria that the Application sets.  Programmers
> create the Components, and Administrators install these
> Components and register them with the ORB, for any Application
> on the system or network to use.
> 
> I believe that currently it is actually the Application
> Programmers who decide which Components they want to call
> into service when they code the Applications.  But why
> couldn't it be the Application Users themselves, through
> such interface mechanisms as Preferences and Options?
> They should be able to use Components from anywhere on the Internet.
> This would be taking the CORBA model to its next logical level
> of sophistication.
> 
> It would also reduce the need to install Packages to user or
> system filespace while the user is trying them out.  Then, if
> lots of Users at a Site like something, it will make sense to
> cache/replicate the Component at the local Site.  Something
> like a Squid for GNOME CORBA objects could even be written to
> reduce the load on People-with-root-privilege.
> 
> I realize this brings up serious bandwidth, portability and security
> issues, but it seems to me a vision to be aiming for in the long run.
> I think it is also an approach which complements the Free Software
> advantage (less duplication of programming effort through sharing code),
> by offering less duplication of admin effort through sharing functionality.