# Rpkg questions **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [4 September 2002 22:05 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/rpkg-questions/1567 "2002-09-04T22:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patrick\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Patrick\_May](https://rubytalk.org/u/Patrick_May)\ **Post date:** [4 September 2002 22:05 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/rpkg-questions/1567/1 "2002-09-04T22:05:29Z")
first of all, rpkg == mana from heaven!!! I was thinking about the package manager problem yesterday, and I had a few questions / ideas: - What is the status of rpkg? How old is it, how actively is it being developed? - When I was bouncing ideas around, I thought that some kind of integration with RAA would be an important feature for such a utility. Perhaps the RAA could fill out the fields of an entry from an uploaded rpt, and rpkg could query RAA for packages? It is very exciting to see holes in the process of being filled, nice work! ~ Patrick ---
**Author:** ![Massimiliano\_Mirra4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Massimiliano\_Mirra4](https://rubytalk.org/u/Massimiliano_Mirra4)\ **Post date:** [5 September 2002 14:07 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/rpkg-questions/1567/2 "2002-09-05T14:07:44Z")
> first of all, rpkg == mana from heaven!!! > > I was thinking about the package manager problem yesterday, and I had > a few questions / ideas: > > - What is the status of rpkg? The one online ([http://www.allruby.com/rpkg](http://www.allruby.com/rpkg)) works. I’m not developing it anymore, only doing bugfixes. As for the one I’m rewriting: the fetch/build/pack/unpack operations work (many niceties have been added like cvs integration and automatic building); the database management code has not been rewritten yet; I’m working on the dependency handling code. > How old is it, [ANN] rpkg 0.1 (long) ruby-talk:30749 10 Jan 2002 > how actively is it being developed? The only actively developed ruby project in a busy life. 🙂 > - When I was bouncing ideas around, I thought that some kind of > integration with RAA would be an important feature for such a utility. > Perhaps the RAA could fill out the fields of an entry from an > uploaded rpt, and rpkg could query RAA for packages? The biggest priority is a flat database of available packages that can be downloaded/rsynced, then queried offline, like Debian’s. I don’t plan integrating rpkg with the current RAA, I’m afraid that would be kludgy at best. As an online service (for when the flat database part will be in place) I’m considering LDAP. > It is very exciting to see holes in the process of being filled, nice > work! 🙂 Massimiliano > **···** > > On Thu, Sep 05, 2002 at 07:05:29AM +0900, Patrick May wrote: ---
**Author:** ![Patrick\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Patrick\_May](https://rubytalk.org/u/Patrick_May)\ **Post date:** [6 September 2002 18:52 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/rpkg-questions/1567/3 "2002-09-06T18:52:05Z")
Massimiliano Mirra [list@NOSPAMchromatic-harp.com](mailto:list@NOSPAMchromatic-harp.com) wrote in message news:[20020905160729.A5055@ws10.rcost-p.unisannio.it](mailto:20020905160729.A5055@ws10.rcost-p.unisannio.it)… > [thx for the information] > > > how actively is it being developed? > > The only actively developed ruby project in a busy life. 🙂 don’t we all have this problem. Still, busy-ness is good 🙂 > > - When I was bouncing ideas around, I thought that some kind of > > integration with RAA would be an important feature for such a utility. > > Perhaps the RAA could fill out the fields of an entry from an > > uploaded rpt, and rpkg could query RAA for packages? > > The biggest priority is a flat database of available packages that can > be downloaded/rsynced, then queried offline, like Debian’s. > > I don’t plan integrating rpkg with the current RAA, I’m afraid that > would be kludgy at best. As an online service (for when the flat > database part will be in place) I’m considering LDAP. What if there was an option to upload a package _to_ RAA, instead of using rpkg to download from RAA? For example: [~]# rpkg --upload-raa narf.package Extracting information from package… Project Name: Narf Version: alpha Status: alpha Owner: Patrick May Owner’s Email: [patrick-may@monmouth.com](mailto:patrick-may@monmouth.com) Category: Lib/WWW Homepage: [http://narf-lib.sourceforge.net](http://narf-lib.sourceforge.net) Download: [NARF -- better web libraries for Ruby download | SourceForge.net](http://sourceforge.net/projects/narf-lib) Description: NARF is an attempt to create ruby web libraries that escape the weighty thud that one usually associates with web frameworks. We want to build a variety of solutions to help with every layer of building web applications, from the ground (cgi) up (to design patterns) Please enter RAA pass phrase: \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Updating information… …Done [~]# Would it be difficult to add this meta data to rpkg? I’m sure much of it is there in some form or another. Of course, this work should be done by those who actually want the feature 🙂 Since RAA (or Google, but that’s a different story) is the main destination for one browsing for packages, I think it is important for a package system to make it easy to update that information. This kind of feature could make it easier to ‘ease’ into a different packaging system. ~ Patrick ---
**Author:** ![Massimiliano\_Mirra4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Massimiliano\_Mirra4](https://rubytalk.org/u/Massimiliano_Mirra4)\ **Post date:** [7 September 2002 15:44 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/rpkg-questions/1567/4 "2002-09-07T15:44:00Z")
> What if there was an option to upload a package _to_ RAA, instead of > using rpkg to download from RAA? For example: > > [~]# rpkg --upload-raa narf.package > Extracting information from package… > Project Name: Narf > Version: alpha > Status: alpha > […] > Would it be difficult to add this meta data to rpkg? I’m sure much of > it is there in some form or another. Should be pretty easy. > Since RAA (or Google, but that’s a different story) is the main > destination for one browsing for packages, I think it is important for > a package system to make it easy to update that information. This > kind of feature could make it easier to ‘ease’ into a different > packaging system. Another choice could be to have a `news feed’ from the rpkg repository that notifies the RAA of package additions and gives it the necessary link, owner, description, … information. That way the rpkg tool wouldn’t bloat and the uploader wouldn’t have to remember to update two repositories. Massimiliano > **···** > > On Sat, Sep 07, 2002 at 03:52:05AM +0900, Patrick May wrote: