[packagekit] Status of the APT backend

[Richard Hughes]

On Wed, 2008-02-20 at 18:28 +0100, Josselin Mouette wrote:
> Le mercredi 20 février 2008 à 08:40 +0100, Sebastian Heinlein a écrit :
> > The apt backend will be obsolete in the near future. I used the apt  
> > backend as a starting point and "ported" some parts to a dbus based  
> > backend. It is named apt2 and was moved to the main line recently.
> 
> How complete is it at the moment?

Unknown. Could you guys please add an apt2 section in the html table and
fill out what works now. Thanks.

> > We discussed some of the issues at http://wiki.debian.org/PackageKit  
> > (the site hasn't been updated for quite some time).
> 
> Well, I guess I have to disagree with Richard about the Debconf needs.
> When a question comes with a high priority, it does need to be asked.
> When you get a big fat warning telling you to reboot, it should not be
> ignored.

There's a standard abstraction method available for this. Please see the
documentation for RequireRestart().

> High priority questions (which are thankfully rare) are for
> things that don’t have a sane default, in which case noninteractive
> installation isn’t going to work.

For example? If it's not going to be something my mother can understand,
then please don't quote it as an example. BTW, I don't see any problem
with a message saying:
_______________________________________________________________________
[ A package may require configuring                                   ]
[                                                                     ]
[ A package you've just installed by require options to be set before ]
[ it will work correctly. [Click Here] to configure.                  ]

Which links to an executable that does the debconf stuff. I think it
would suck from a user interaction POV, but if it has to be done, it has
to be done.

My personal and technical view is that stuff should just work out of the
box - if it's something like httpd then it's not insane that an admin
will have to configure stuff using system-config-httpd or editing
apache.conf before it works.

> I’m interested in PackageKit as a potential replacement for Synaptic,
> and I dare to say that it will never replace it without proper debconf
> support.

PackageKit isn't a replacement to synaptic. It's just not designed to
be. It's designed to make software easier to install and keep updated
using a cross desktop and cross-distro API. Synaptic does a fantastic
job on debian, but just isn't a tool new users should be forced to use.

> > You will be at FosDem?
> 
> Nope, sorry.

I am, and giving a presentation on PackageKit. All welcome for beers
after, but mention debconf and you'll be buying a round. :-)

Richard.