Baslinux mailing list

[<keesan2 AT cyberspace.org>]

On Mon, 12 May 2003 qwms-avib AT dea.spamcon.org wrote:

> keesan2 AT cyberspace.org wrote:
> > 
> > > installpkg and removepkg are part of the pkgtool
> > > package.
> > 
> > I have been using them without anything from bin.tgz.
> > I do sometimes, for some packages, get two lines of what 
> > may be error messages telling me it cannot find something 
> 
> That is precisely what happens from running pkgtool
> without installing the bin package.

We are probably talking about two entirely different lines.
I am not using pkgtool.  You are.  


> > but the packages install anyway. 
> 
> As mentioned previously, some Slackware packages contain
> installation scripts, which do various things to enable
> the package to function correctly.  So, even though the
> files end up in the right place, a botched installation 
> script can cause a problem.

The two lines of messages are, I think, telling me that a particular
package does NOT contain installation scripts.  Everything has installed
just fine with installpkg, not a problem of any sort.  I posted something
about Slackware installation tools that specifically stated that pkgtool
did not do anything that you could not do just as well with installpkg and
removepkg.  Pkgtool is just preferred by people who like colored menus
rather than command-line and typing.  


I will write down these lines next time I encounter them.  I think it was
something about cannot find doinstall.sh.  Did this have somethign to do
wtih creating links?

> 
> > I uninstalled Opera 5.05 after installing 6.03 with 
> > removepkg. 
> 
> The Opera file you are installing (from Debian) is not 
> a Slackware package.  pkgtool is for Slackware packages.  
> There is no guarantee that pkgtool will install non-
> Slackware packages correctly.


Opera was not from Debian.  I installed it just fine with installpkg.  I
then, so I could compare the two installed 6.03 rather than upgrading
(there is another tool for upgrading) and when I uninstalled 5.05 it
deleted some shared files so I reinstalled 6.03.  I could have simply
removed 5.05 first.  I did not use pkgtool - would pkgtool have NOT
removed the files that were common to both versions? 


> 
> > > You may be able to get tar to install the
> > > files in the right place, but 
> > > when you try to remove a package with rm, 
> > > how do you know what files to delete?
> > 
> > They are listed in /var/log/packages.
> 
> tar does not do that.  pkgtool is creating those lists.


Since I am not using pkgtool it cannot be creating my lists, it is
obviously installpkg doing that.  I have no objection to using installpkg
and removepkg.  

> > I just pointed out that you could in theory do it with 
> > rm instead.  It would be a bit more work.
> 
> It would be a *lot* more work without the file list in
> /var/log/packages.

Yes, but then I could put things where I wanted and not have to take the
time to delete all the locale files and COPYRIGHT files manually.



> > What are installation scripts and why do you need them 
> > if the files are already installed in the right place?
> 
> Installing a package may involve more than putting the
> files in the right place.  Settings may need to be changed.
> Startup scripts may need to be modified.  Links may need
> to be created/destroyed.  
> 

Installpkg seems capable of handling all this.