[BusyBox] dpkg

[Glenn McGrath]

On Sun, 3 Mar 2002 23:40:45 +0100
"Goetz Bock" <bock at blacknet.de> wrote:

> 
> On Sun, Mar 03 '02 at 15:45, Kevin J Walchko wrote:
> > how do you work with dpkg? i mean specifically, how do i build
packages> > that this can use and how does dpkg keep track of packages?
> I cant tell you, never figured out how to use the dpkg (or it's
> frontends)

Where rpm has a .spec file debian has a debian/ directory with multiple
files, these contain information on how to create a binary package.
Toactually create the binary package use the dpkg-buildpackage command.
Information on how to create the files in the debian/ directory can be
found here http://www.debian.org/doc/maint-guide/

>      Both the rpm and the deb database are way too big for your embedded
>      system, if you want a tiny package manager have a look at ipkg from
>      the handhelds.org familiar distribution (for compaq ipaq)

rpm stores its metadata in a db3 formated binary database, libdb3 is 684kB
on my system, that is a lot of overhead on an embedded device just to
enable updating the database.

dpkg uses text files so they can be easily modified, the debian databases
could be improved to become much more space efficient, i have solid ideas
on how to do it and hopefully will get around to it one day, but my first
priority is to create something compatable with the official dpkg.

b.t.w. i just got back from an 8 day vacation which gave me time to think
and (shock/horror) PLAN some missing pieces in experimental packaging code
i have locally, in short im working on a libdeb with code common to dpkg
(and in future) apt-get and debootstrap applets, i expect to make good
progress in the next few weeks.



Glenn