Updates on the Software download pages

Over the last few days, I’ve rebuilt all of the pre-built stuff, such as applications, modules, screensavers, etc. I have also built from the latest sources in CVS the OMAP3Dev ROM, the TungstenDev ROM and the IOMDHALDev ROM. And I did the HardDisc4 stuff for good measure (self-extracting version to be uploaded shortly).

Excellent! Can I package it now? :)

I’d really like to see all of this linked into an autobuild process, so it’s always pointing to the latest CVS. Have you made any progress on this front?

Please go for it on the packaging front. I, too, would love to modify the build to produce lots of individual packages as its output. Let’s avoid the modules and stick to the main apps and utilities for the time being. If you (or someone) can create a pile of packages, then I can look at them all to see how they are structured and tweak my build to produce them in that format in future.

In an ideal world, I think (almost) all of the HardDisc4 image would come from downloading some base archive and then running a package manager to fetch a whole load of other stuff which populates the rest of the disc image. Then, you can periodically run the package manager to see if anything has been updated (on the ROOL site – presumably we’d host some sort of index file) and download/install the updates easily. You know, just like on every other OS… :)

Nice one.

see if anything has been updated (on the ROOL site – presumably we’d host some sort of index file) and download/install the updates easily

…Assuming the site’s not offline :-p

It’s worth pointing out that amongst these updates are a new OMAP ROM and SDCreate version, which should allow everything to work properly on the new rev C BeagleBoard-xM.

Steve,

…presumably we’d host some sort of index file) and download/install the updates easily. You know, just like on every other OS… :)

That’s how the RiscPkg package system works. Martin has probably got it all in hand anyway, but FYI the autobuilder website uses a program that scans through the package files and creates an index from it that you could use.

I’ll have another crack at it this weekend. AFAICR, the only outstanding issue from my last attempt was that we have to find somewhere in the source repository to hold RiscPkg-specific permanent information, like the category and priority.

OK, if I’m going to do this, we need to work out why it stalled last time.

What do you want me to do?

Do you want me to email you a set of completed package files, with no program supplied to automate the building process, so you can have a good look at them and then duplicate my effort in writing your own?

Do you want me to email you the program with instructions for use, ready to integrate into the build system?

I also need to know a whole lot more about the environment in which the finished product is going to operate. ATM, it relies on a completed HardDisc4 directory being available, with everything available on the software page installed in its proper place (I understand this isn’t the case for the current HardDisc4 zip, with some applications being missing). Or will these applications be saved in an arbitrary location? (If so, an extra command line argument, or possibly an extended descriptor file, will be necessary to tell RiscPkg where to install the downloaded components.)

While we’re at it, a set of descriptor files, one per package, is necessary, and a location for these must be found – preferably in the CVS repository. Unless, of course, such information is also passed on the command line, but doing so for the long description is almost certainly physically impossible.

Please understand that I cannot continue without more information than you have currently supplied.

Hi Martin – I’m not ignoring you; I’m just waiting for an opportunity to give this the time and attention it deserves. Will get back here soon, hopefully.