Subject: Re: Future releases and packages
From: Chris Faylor <[email-masked]>
To: Jimen Ching <[email-masked]>
Cc: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 17:29:23 -0400

On Wed, Oct 13, 1999 at 11:09:10AM -1000, Jimen Ching wrote:
>Are there any plans to supply packages with future releases of cygwin?
>Currently, each release of cygwin is like installing an entire OS.  The
>problem with this is that it is hard to upgrade individual programs.  I.e.
>if there's a new flex or bison, I either have to build it myself or wait
>for the next release of cygwin.
>
>With a package system, this problem doesn't exist.  If there's a new
>package, I just need to install that package.  And if there's a new
>version of the cygwin library, but none of the packages have changed,
>I can just install the new library.
>
>The drawback to a package system is that it requires more maintenance.
>I.e. packages must be tested, and the cygwin library must be binary-
>backwards compatible.  Otherwise, the whole system must be re-installed.
>
>I'm just wondering if this has been considered?

It's been considered and I think that it is a very good idea.  I would
love to see some sort of web-based installation kit that allowed you to
install only as much as you need, pulling appropriate packages over the
internet, like RPM can do now.

Unfortunately, our biggest problem right now is that both DJ and I are
constantly swamped.  I would love to just go the linux route and release
the sources for whatever is appropriate to the net and let somebody else
worry about packaging.

If somebody (or somebodies) would like to volunteer to do something like
this, I'll guarantee time to work with them.  Until then, DJ and I will
keep plugging along.

-Chris Faylor
-Cygwin Manager

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