[packagekit] [Ubuntu-appstore-developers] D-Bus API for Click Packages (PackageKit/AptDaemon)

[Sebastian Heinlein]

Hello Colin,

You could use the data field of the PackageKit package id [1] to
separate calls to the click package system and the APT system. This
would make it possible to use the click packages also on APT based
systems if aptdaemon is used.

E.g. the method call RemovePackages(["myapp;1.0;armhf;CLICK"]) would
remove the click package myapp and
RemovePackages(["myapp;1.0;armhf;local") the local Debian package.

I would add the corresponding calls to the click package system to
aptdaemon. It should be fairly easy to keep aptdaemon and a native
PackageKit backend up-to-date if the click package system will only
feature a simple fire and forget command line interface.

The resolve transaction type [2] would also be nice to have. It returns
the package ids of the packages that match the given package name.

Resolve("myapp") could e.g emit:

Package(InfoEnum.AVAILABLE, "myapp;1.0;armhf;CLICK", "cool app")
Package(InfoEnum.INSTALLED, "myapp;1.1;armhf;CLICK", "coolest app")
Package(InfoEnum.INSTALLED, "myapp;1.1;armhf;local", "super app")

"The version of 1.0 and 1.1 of the click package myapp are available on
the system and 1.1 is the currently installed one of the user.
Additionally the Debian package myapp is installed on the system."

Cheers,

Sebastian

[1]
http://www.packagekit.org/gtk-doc/concepts.html#introduction-ideas-packageid

[2]
http://www.packagekit.org/gtk-doc/Transaction.html#Transaction.Resolve