Re: [linux-audio-user] Re: Best distro for an Intel Powerbook dual boot?

> > If you want to try another source-based distro, give Source Mage a go. It
> lets
> > you configure, tweak, and optimize anything that's possible, but installing
> > packages might not be as hard as with Gentoo.
>
> easier than 'emerge dino seq24 alsaseq2jackmidi ingen' ?
>
> imo we need to come up with a generalized cros-distro build metadata format
> since at least gentoo, sourcemage, and archlinux have similar yet
> incompatible ways to specify this..

Replace 'emerge' with 'cast' and you're set (to answer some dependency & options
queries and wait for compile to finish), providing that spells (we call our
packages that) exist for those apps.

Some audio app spells are still missing from our grimoires (repositories), but I
can whip them up in no time. I've added audio apps at a steady rate during the
past weeks, and plan on doing so until all necessary ones are available. If you
go Source Mage and find that something's missing, just make a request.

And now onto another interesting subject:

What do you mean by "cross-distro metadata format"? Do you mean a data file
shipped with the sources that would include info about required and optional
dependencies, etc?

I see many reasons why something like that wouldn't work, one of the largest
being that packages aren't (and won't be) homogenously named across distros.
Also build systems differ considerably, and a metadata format that tries to
give a detailed specification about what configure options do which things and
how they are applied, it would be... well, another build system. :)

I _can_ imagine establishing a unified format for source-based distros, but that
would effectively mean forcing the same package manager unto all. I don't see
that as a real solution. Besides, in these things the most popular usually
wins, and the most popular isn't necessary the best.

That being said, I must add that (from a source-based developer's point of view)
a common metadata format for source packages already exists: It's the metadata
that forms inside a developer's mind as he reads the README and INSTALL files,
the author's web site, documentation, the output of './configure --help' (or an
equivalent), the content of the Makefiles, and finally when he tests all the
possible build options to see what it is that they do. :)

> in other words i wouldnt mind trying sourcemage, but not if it means giving
> up proadio-overlay.

You do realize that you've effectively locked yourself in the current position
with that, right? :) I have the impression that proaudio-overlay is a Gentoo
repository, which means you'll not find it outside Gentoo, either.

But if you're asking whether Source Mage has a repository (grimoire) like that,
the answer is no. Instead we have one large main grimoire where you'll find
everything you need, except games and non-Free/binary packages (those are in
separate grimoires).

Juuso

PS: List members, please: Just let me know if this is too OT, I'll continue in
private if necessary.

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Received on Fri Sep 22 08:15:04 2006