diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'README.simplaret')
-rw-r--r-- | README.simplaret | 143 |
1 files changed, 143 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/README.simplaret b/README.simplaret new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ce7efbd --- /dev/null +++ b/README.simplaret @@ -0,0 +1,143 @@ +simplaret: simplepkg retrieval tool +----------------------------------- + +Simplaret is a simplepkg tool used to download packages from local and remote repositories. +With simplaret, one can grab packages for all archictectures and versions of slackware-like +distributions that follows the mirror guidelines, allowing an easy management all +jails and slackware installations in a machine, no matter wich arquiteture or version +each one has. + +It was inspired in swaret behavior but don't tries to get its complexity level, but +execute package download in a different way, where the local repository is organized +by archictecture and version. It can also search for packages. + +Documentation +------------- + +The always updated english documentation is hosted at http://slack.sarava.org/node/17 + +Downloading and installing +-------------------------- + +Simplaret comes with simplepkg, wich installation and configuration is detailed +at http://slack.sarava.org/node/15. Simplaret uses /etc/simplepkg/simplepkg.conf for +its definitions and /etc/simplepkg/repos.conf for repository information. + +Repository organization +----------------------- + +Simplaret local storage folder is defined through STORAGE parameter and is organized +in this manner: + + $STORAGE/arch/version/ + +Packages from contributed repositories (i.e, not from an official distro mirror) are +stored at + + $STORAGE/arch/version/repository-name/ + +This means, for example, that slack 10.2 packages are located in + + $STORAGE/i386/10.2/ + +And the slack.sarava.org's slamd64 packages can be stored in a place such as + + $STORAGE/x86_64/10.2/slack.sarava.org/ + +In the repository definition file (/etc/simplepkg/repos.conf), the entries must match +the following schema, something that remembers a swaret.conf: + + ROOT-i386="http://slack.sarava.org/slackware/" + ROOT-x86_64="http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/slamd64/" + REPOS-i386-10.2="slack.sarava.org%http://slack.sarava.org/packages/slackware/slackware-10.2/" + REPOS-x86_64-10.2="slack.sarava.org%http://slack.sarava.org/packages/slamd64/slamd64-10.2/" + +Repositories defined as ROOT are those wich + + - Have packages from the official distro or + - Are organized by version according to the mirror guidelines + +Repositories defined as REPOS are those containing packages from a specific version or +non-oficial packages. + +When simplaret searches for a package, precedence is given first for ROOT definitions and then +for REPOS ones. REPOS definitions should also include a identification name, delimited from +the repository URL by the special sign %. + +Fetching the package list +------------------------- + +After configured, simplaret can fetch the package list with + + simplaret --update + +This updates the package list from arch defined in DEFAULT_ARCH and version from DEFAULT_VERSION. +To fetch package listings for x86_64 (slamd64) and version 10.2, use + + ARCH=x86_64 VERSION=10.2 simplaret --update + +Searching +--------- + +To search for a package, use the following commands as examples: + + simplaret --search coreutils + +for a Slack/390 package, + + ARCH=s390 simplaret --search x11 + +for slack 10.1 with contributed i686 packages, + + ARCH=i686 VERSION=10.1 simplaret --search icecast + +Downloading +----------- + +To download a package, + + simplaret --get icecast + +Simplaret downloads the first package found with the precedence explaned above. +Future versions should contain an option to explicit get a package from a +specific repository. + +Downloading patches +------------------- + +From the PATCHES_DIR parameter is possible to specify a folder where patches are +placed, sorted by arch and version. + +Patches for slack 10.2 are always located at + + $PATCHES_DIR/i386/10.2/ + +In reality, patches are downloaded with a "simplaret --get" and stored in the $STORAGE +subfolder for its arch and version and a symlink is created in $PATCHES_DIR/$ARCH/$VERSION. + +To grab all patches from an arch and version, use + + ARCH=architecture VERSION=version simplaret --get-patches + +Purging the cache +----------------- + +Simplaret cache from an arch and version can be purged with a + + simplaret --purge + +But why use that? +----------------- + +You may ask why someone wishes to use such tool. + +Simplaret was written with a *x86 environment in mind, where lots of jails with different archs +and versions are installed. Suppose a x86_64 with the following chroots installed: + + - slamd64 10.2 + - slackware 10.2 + - slackware 10.1 with additional i686 packages + - uSlack (i386 uClibc) + +Keep all this stuff update manually is really a headache. Simplaret just tries to make it trivial. + |