customization: by package vs. by user

[Pascal Bleser]

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Mikus Grinbergs wrote:
> I'm an "early adopter" of smart on SuSE 10.0.  I had to
> decide_upon/create my own files in /etc/smart/channels.
> 
> Lately, updates of the 'smart' package for SuSE 10.0
> have supplied ever more __canned__ files to be added
> to /etc/smart/channels.  Two problems:
> 
>  -  Some of the added channels are ones I DO NOT WANT !!!

Mikus, this doesn't quite belong on the smart list.
The smart SUSE RPMs are being built by me, and the SUSE-specific
channels it contains are added to the smart.rpm by me.

1) you don't need to shout (caps and !!!), being polite is the best way
of getting answers or help

2) my choice is to make it as easy as possible for new users and hence:
- - include all SUSE channels (main, updates and non-oss)
- - include the most commonly used 3rd party repositories (packman and
mine), both the get smart package updates by smart, and to enable all
the multimedia stuff
- - include some commonly used channels (latest wine, latest mozilla and
supplementary KDE), but these are disabled by default

That's how I think it is best packaged and distributed: make it as easy
as possible for most users. They just install my smart RPM and that's it.
More experienced users can add/remove channels and mirrors as they
please, but IMHO for less experienced users, it should just work.

Actually everyone I've discussed with really likes it that way.
If you don't, just disable or remove the channels and/or mirrors and
you're done with it. Smart won't prompt you for them after upgrades of
the smart package (unless they're being renamed, which I did for the
last 2 or 3 releases of my smart RPM, hopefully that won't happen again,
at least not too often).

>  -  Many many 'mirrors' are being added.  I have a SLOW
>     dial-up line;  Having to fetch the "indexes" (when
>     new packages are made available) from all those
>     additional repositories really SLOWS DOWN 'update'.

Then either
- - disable the channels you don't want before doing 'smart update'
- - answer 'no' when smart prompts you whether you want to include a new
channel or not

And it's not related to the 'many many mirrors' in any way, just with
the number of channels.

> What I am asking for is a way to HAVE UPGRADE NOT TOUCH
> the /etc/smart/channels directory contents -- I *like*
> them the way I already have them !!

Again, no need of being impolite.

As a packager, I use /etc/smart/channels exactly for what it's been
made: to have packages ship pre-configured proposals of channels.
The user is *always* prompted on whether he wants to include channels
that have been added in there or not.

The channels that are actually used by smart (i.e. those you've told
smart to include when it prompts you to, and are enabled) are stored in
/var/lib/smart/config, not in /etc/smart/channels/

You're complaining about the number of preconfigured channels but you've
answered 'yes' when smart asked whether you wanted to use them ... ?
Like, asking 'you want ketchup with your fries ?', answering 'yes' and
then complaining 'I DIDN'T WANT ketchup on my fries' ;)

That being said, in the last 2 or 3 smart RPM releases I did quite some
adding and renaming of channel files, that's not supposed to happen
often.. normally ;)
But, sorry, sometimes I do have to make changes for the better. And,
again, smart prompts you after an upgrade whether you want to use the
channels that have been added in /etc/smart/channels or not.

cheers
- --
  -o) Pascal Bleser     http://linux01.gwdg.de/~pbleser/
  /\\ <pascal.bleser at skynet.be>       <guru at unixtech.be>
 _\_v The more things change, the more they stay insane.
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