[EROS-Arch] Installers

[Seth Arnold]

* Robert Wittams <robert.wittams@ic.ac.uk> [010322 15:17]:
> I can't see any reason it has to be turing complete. 
> Remember this isn't unix - you are not modifying some crufty old global
> namespace. 
> The main uses of pre inst and post inst scripts on dpkg and rpm are:
> - messing with config files
> - messing with symbolic links
> ( these should both be done in private)
> - messing with the user database (this is entirely unneeded with eros)
> - stopping and starting services  

One thing to be careful about -- you are assuming that the same style of
tasks will need to be handled in EROS as in dpkg/rpm install scripts.
When the OS handles so much for the user (loading the correct modules to
support hardware practically all on its own), filesystem, etc, the tasks
you enumerated are about all that is left.

However, would install programs/scripts on EROS get away with doing
less? Might the installers have to do *more*, just to get around the OS
doing less? IE, it might need to make a 'filesystem' for itself (ftp
server?), cook a partition for database use, handle interrupts in
strange devices, ... I just don't know what is desired/expected/possible
for the installer programs, mainly because I am unfamiliar with them.

I think you may be right; however, as you said, this isn't Unix. Be
careful assuming the enumerated list carries over from one OS to
another.

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