On Mon, Dec 07, 2009 at 10:15:18AM +0000, Rob OpenSuSE wrote:
2009/12/6 Egbert Eich <eich@suse.de>:
This brings back the question why we need the source RPM at all. The only reason I could think of is that people using other distros can easily download out sources. If openSUSE users would either resourt to OSC or to the software installation tools shipped by openSUSE (zypper, YaST, ...) we didn't even need SRPMS at all.
One use for src.rpm is after a release is not supported, at least in theory it's possible to backport important updates, or have someone look into a new bug which suddenly manifests after end of official support, or say when a program frustratingly refuses to run virtualised on a current machine because it doesn't recognise the CPU as i386 family. Also not needing to be "online" and connected with openSUSE or Novell, provides more security against future unforeseen events.
If this is really the plan, wouldn't it be better to create a project in ones home and build the security maintenence packages there? This way one could share the results with others instead of keeping them on the local machine.
My main use for src.rpm has actually been with 3rd party software, where I've needed to alter spec files, and make configure patches to build manageable packages. In the past, end users have also rebuilt distro's to use different compile options for example "RevHat".
What would be the difference if there was a read only osc access? You can download the content of the src rpm, modify it and use build on your local machine to run the entire rpm/srpm build process. For this you don't need a srpm package hosted - you could still distribute your modified srpm.
If source was to be provided another way, like build service, the project would need to make the method much clearer. We "know" how rpm works, and that generates expecations, currently the updates hierarchy has src directory in the hierarchy with ARCH dirs (like i586, x86_64 & noarch).
For 'build' try 'man 1 build'.
Also what was delivered at GM and via update, ought to be archiveable by end user, so needs like the OP's who requested source ISO by download can be met.
Hrm, end users archive things ops request ... is this a very likely scenario? Cheers, Egbert. -- Egbert Eich (Res. & Dev.) SUSE LINUX Products GmbH X Window System Development Tel: +49 911-740 53 0 http://www.suse.de ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, GF: Markus Rex, HRB 16746 (AG Nürnberg) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org