On Sat, Jan 29, 2005 at 02:10:14PM -0500, David Curry wrote: > Gustavo Seabra wrote: > >Robert Spangler wrote: > >>On Saturday 29 January 2005 11:55, Matthew Miller wrote: > >> > >>>> I was just wondering if there are and install packages out there like > >>>> the new Debian Install? I find this approach to be the most optimal > >>>> since you are always installing the latest version of the software. > >>> > >>>Can you explain this in more detail? > >> > >>With the new Debian you down load 1 cd to start the install. The > >>install then downloads all needed packages from the internet, thus > >>you system already has the latest version of all software that it > >>install. No need to install then wait another hour while it updates > >>your system. .... > >That would be good if you have broadband. But how is this supposed to > >work with dial up connections? (Ok, I guess one could do this just > >optional...) > > > You raise a good point, Gustavo. Connection capacity is definitely an > issue. With broadband, it took more than seven hours in two updating > sessions to download and upgrade the FC2 system I installed about two > weeks ago. So distribution version and development pace also comes into > play. Do not ignore the bandwidth issues at BOTH ends of the connection. With bittorrent like tools we are on the cusp of solving one end of the problem.... but the end user and firewalled user will always have issues. For what it is worth the BSD folk do almost the same thing but as I understand it the download is source. The packages on a system are compiled locally and installed. I suspect that one could modify yum or up2date to do the same source only trick. For some that would be an advantage because they currently download both the binary rpm and the source rpm. One could design a tool perhaps with the name 'syum' that picked up only the source package rpm. Then compiled the package and built an rpm on the local system for installation. The package owners could be impacted. Occasionally a source rpm does not build as cleanly as this strategy demands. There are other details to sort out but.... There are sites where this has value. -- T o m M i t c h e l l
