[uw.mfcf.people] When do we freeze package contents?

idallen@watcgl.waterloo.edu (10/02/89)

From: "Ian! D. Allen [CGL]" <idallen>

I'm worried about mfcf-misc getting more and more stuff put in it
and overflowing my workstations.  I'd like a more careful way of adding
stuff to packages, so that this won't happen in future.

jmsellens@watdragon.waterloo.edu (John M. Sellens) (10/03/89)

In article <11733@watcgl.waterloo.edu> idallen@watcgl.waterloo.edu writes:
>From: "Ian! D. Allen [CGL]" <idallen>
>
>I'm worried about mfcf-misc getting more and more stuff put in it
>and overflowing my workstations.  I'd like a more careful way of adding
>stuff to packages, so that this won't happen in future.


I'm not sure it's obvious how to deal with this.  I think I like my
idea of the binary installer file daemon program and lots of symlinks
to the file installer.

e.g. make install copies over everything but the binaries, and puts links
to /software/butler/bin/butler in instead.  Somebody runs
  xobscurebigprogram args
butler says Hmmm tracks down the link, verifies that it's a link to butler,
verifies that it is a program that is allowed to be requested, and tracks
down a binary server for this architecture, copies the file over, moves it
into place, and execs it.  Then once a week /software/butler/bin/upstairs-maid
goes around and picks up your old clothes and leaves a note behind telling
you where to find it (i.e. a link to butler).  butler of course works by
calling the file daemon, which would of course be called "chauffeur" since
it's in charge of transporting stuff around.  But it would probably be
spelt correctly.