[maemo-developers] Software categories

[From: Ed Bartosh]

On Tue, 2007-08-14 at 23:25 +0100, ext Neil Jerram wrote:
> Marius Vollmer <marius.vollmer at nokia.com> writes:
> 
> > Rather, I would hope that we get the repository mess under control by
> > having a few well maintained official repositories and then clean up
> > the category mess by tightly controlling the categories of the
> > packages in the official repositories.
> 
> What does "well maintained" mean?  If it means rejecting an upload
> that doesn't fit one of the official categories, then I see no
> significant difference between that and what I said.  Otherwise, how
> do you envisage good maintenance solving this problem?
> 
> > The category mess is only a minor detail when looking at the general
> > repository mess.
> 
> Actually, I personally don't perceive a "general repository mess".  as
> far as automating the process of adding a new repository is concerned,
The problem with a lot of repositories is that you can't rely on them,
users depend on the repository maintainer's wish to continue supporting
repository. Sometimes they're gone with the packages they provided.

> I'd say the .install files have worked very well.  On the other hand,
> the profusion of category buttons in Application Manager is a very
> perceptible problem.
> 
I'd say that .install files bring more problems than they solve. They're
hiding real problems with this mess by supporting automatic repository
addition. I know it sounds strange from first look but ... it's true.
Imagine that instead of .install files we would have one repository for
user applications and all applications would be seen in AM right away.
Wouldn't this be better than the situation we have now - tons of
repositories and .install files everywhere and users who have to find
them on maemo/downloads, garage, maemo-hackers and many other places?

-- 
Ed Bartosh <eduard.bartosh at nokia.com>
Nokia-M/Helsinki