Re: Install program

[Marc Ewing <marc redhat com>]

"Ben 'The Con Man' Kahn" <xkahn@mail.cybersites.com> writes:
> On 19 Apr 1998, Tom Tromey wrote:
> 
> > Marc> I'm working on "grpm" right now.
> > 
> > Marc> Eventually it'll have a nice little drop target so you can drag
> > Marc> stuff from gmc and grpm will handle all the dependency resultion
> > Marc> (ie, locating other requires RPMs) and installation.
> > 
> > I think double-clicking on an RPM in gmc should start the tool in this
> > mode.  That way it really will be like InstallShield -- only better.
> > 
> > Ideally the tool could be modified for use with Debian packages as
> > well.  I'm not saying this is a requirement, just that it would be
> > good if the hooks existed...
> 
> 	But what if you're not root?  As far as I'm concerned, there are
> deep issues involved in installing software.  As far as I'm concerned,
> software should be compiled and tested by a user, but installed by root.  
> 
> 	Usually, I download a tar.gz file and put it in a directory off my
> account.  Then I compile it, test it for a while, decide if I want it...
> And then install it.  (The final step as root.)  RPM removes that to some
> extent in that I just install it as root right away.
> 
> 	But what should my users be allowed to do?  Many of them already
> keep small utilities they like to run.  I had a friend who kept mwm in his
> home directory for unknown reasons...  
> 
> 	How is this problem being solved?

Well, that's really a policy/usage issue and has nothing to do
with RPM (or dpkg).

RPM has enough features so that uses can also use it to install
into a some /home/marc/mysoftware/... hierarchy and keep their
own RPM database.

-Marc