[MINC-development] binary distribution

[Andrew Janke]

On Tue, 12 Nov 2002, Jason Lerch wrote:

> the binary distribution project is slowly progressing; see here:
>
> http://www.bic.mni.mcgill.ca/software/distribution/

good good, I assume at some time you are going to add a link to:

   http://www.bic.mni.mcgill.ca/software/distribution/packages

ie: when you have them stable?

> A question about dpkg for those debian afficionados: does anyone know
> of the dpkg tools existing for RedHat? Even though I'm using epm to
> build all the packages, I still need the native packaging tools to
> actually create those respective packages.

3 options (that I know of)
--------------------------

  * Convert.  I agree with steve here, and now after finally getting
     FAI to work (http://www.informatik.uni-koeln.de/fai/) there is
     _NO_ turning back.  Far FAR better than the redhat alternative.
    Once you've seen the light rpm is a dkpg...

  * apparently you can install .deb files using rpm as an
      'alien' package.  Who knows how intelligent this is though.

  * Try the experimental releases of dpkg (for other environments)
     http://some.debian.mirror/debian/project/dpkg

> * should the creation of these binary packages become part of the make
>   dist mechanism, or live as a separate script.

Separate script/makefile IMHO or as another target in the make structure ie:
'make bindist'.

> * Should we create packages for the perl libraries as well, or rely on
>   the perl installation mechanism?

Leave it up to PERL, far safer. Or better still perhaps have a punt at
submitting them to CPAN.

> I have not really tested any of the packages, and am somewhat
> reluctant to on my machine as I'm currently quite happy with my
> /usr/local/mni and therefore reluctant to mess it up - so testers are
> welcome!

Just keep me informed when they change, I have a little stack of debian boxes
(affectionately known as onefish, twofish, redfish, blufish, lorax, sneed, etc
etc etc) that are dying to try something bleeding edge. :)


--
Andrew Janke   ( rotor@cmr.uq.edu.au || www.cmr.uq.edu.au/~rotor )
Australia->University of Queensland->Centre for Magnetic Resonance
Work: +61 7 3365 4100 || Home: +61 7 3800 4042