[Kolab-devel] Fwd: Introducing OpenPKG 4.x

[Sascha Wilde]

Mathieu Parent <math.parent at gmail.com> writes:
> On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 9:52 AM, Gunnar Wrobel <wrobel at pardus.de> wrote:
> ...
>> I think we should start discussing the different available options on the
>> list so that we get an overview on the different options including their
>> pros and cons.
>
> Let's do it!
>
> I have setup a page on the wiki:
> <https://wiki.kolab.org/index.php/Developer_packaging_platform_comparison>
>
> Currently, two solutions have been mentionned:
> - OpenSUSE Build service
> - Project Builder

FWIW, I'm a big fan[1] of pkgsrc[2] (the application pool of netbsd).  It has
advantages similar to OpenPKG in being very portable, allowing binary
and source[3] distribution and providing a defined environment with all
applications included we would need to build upon.

Pros:
- Free Software (a _must_)
- Highly portable
- Platform- (and distribution-) independent
- Security maintained
- Regular releases (four times a year)
- IMHO very nice tools and a good design[4]
- Good documentation for package builders (and of the whole system)
- Can generate rpm from pkgsrc packages.  This needs further
  evaluation but might be interesting at some point.

Cons:
- Maybe a bit to many releases (I'm currently not sure how fast we would
  have to follow to get security updates -- this would need further
  evaluation)
- Related: No policies on guaranteed maintained lifetime for releases
- Does things a bit differently, when you are used to package systems
  common on GNU/Linux systems.[5]
- No commercial support available from upstream[6]

cheers
sascha

[1]  We have not yet decided (or even in depth discussed) this problem
     in the Server development team at Intevation, so my personal views
     in this mail are by no means an official statement by Intevation.
[2]  http://www.netbsd.org/docs/software/packages.html
[3]  As tar-balls!  Which IMO would be an improvement.
[4]  At least when you like the BSD way of doing things
[5]  IMO no real con, but it has to be accepted that people need to learn a
     few new commands and concepts, while OpenPKG was some sort of RPM.
[6]  But there are various commercial NetBSD (and therefor pkgsrc)
     consultants and developers listed on netbsd.org
-- 
Sascha Wilde                                          OpenPGP key: 4BB86568
http://www.intevation.de/~wilde/                  http://www.intevation.de/
Intevation GmbH, Neuer Graben 17, 49074 Osnabrück; AG Osnabrück, HR B 18998
Geschäftsführer:   Frank Koormann,  Bernhard Reiter,  Dr. Jan-Oliver Wagner
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