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Linux Cubed Series 7: Sunsite
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Linux Cubed Series 7 - Sunsite Vol 1.iso
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README.NOW
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1995-07-11
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New with Alpha-3
Minor cosmetic changes for pre-use testing.
New with Alpha-2
With A2, support has been added to manage the .packages file correctly and
to give control to a e-mail interface to leave feedback and call a product
removal script. An optional .setup can also be bunded to allow setup of
applications after installation.
The product .tar.gz file normally contains:
package.tgz Actual product / multi-product archive set
package Tycho installer for first-time auto-install
VUtermlib
VUaliases
package.conf
other Perhaps a README.NOW file or something similar.
The embedded package.tgz file should normally contain:
.label index of products in the package.tgz
.message a splash message screen (copyright notice, etc)
For each product and subdir path in package.tgz refrenced in .label:
.install script file to initiate installation. The path
back to the package.tgz file and installation
path are passed as arguments.
.remove optional script to remove product files and
update config before the package is listed
as removed.
.contact can be used invoke mail, such as a script command
like 'mail help@support.com', to allow people to report
bugs or other comments to the appropriate place.
.setup optional setup module if you have additional/post-
install re-configuration capability.
The selected products in package.tgz refered to in .label and selected at
the install list are then initially loaded into a matching subdirectory
of /usr/spool/package. The .install script should move these files to
their correct destination, update system config files, etc.
With alpha-2, tape and disk installation now have an additional prompt
window to allow selection of alternate device paths. Only Disk, Tape,
and 'autoload' installation is complete so far.
The plan for cd-rom installation is to have an additional .master file
in a known subdirectory to list ALL product .tar.gz files to be found on
the cd-rom drive. You would then select the product from the master list
and enter into the individual product installation sets.
Since the use of encrypted key-on-demand encoding for commercial cd-roms is
a popular means of distributing multiple products in some markets, we may add
such support with an optional and friendly key-entry form when we do add
cd-rom support to package.
Similarly, FTP support will probably be through a .master file in a known
directory on an anonymous ftp account. We may also tie lan through ftp to
the initial product install so it always points to where updates can be found.
The result should be fully automated product installation and updating at
the touch of a button!
The Package Installer, Alpha-1
This is a test and demonstration of a new visually oriented standard
software packaging application for Linux. We are hoping to have this
product functional and ready for use with the Beta-3 release of VU BBS
and eventually with all Tycho Softworks products under Linux.
This second test version is capable of loading disk and tape 'package'
archives, which are really called 'package.tgz' and contain a .label
file. The sample package in this archive will give a good idea of
how this works. The package program and support files are wrapped
outside any product 'package.tgz' since the whole system is self-hosted
and self-installing.
If you have gotten this far, and still have package.tgz intact in the
same directory you unpacked the rest of this archive, then simply
type 'package' at the shell prompt. Package will copy needed support
files, install itself to /usr/sbin, and then auto-load 'package.tgz'.
Package works best under the VU visual system admin shell, though it
can be used stand-alone. It is also statically linked to libvu.
This first test of package is to see how well it works on different
systems and to get some feedback on what functionality may be desired.
If one gets the impression that, with our own very easy to use visually
oriented system admin and software installation to tools (and perhaps a
very simple to operate VU based system install utility), that we may be
planning to introduce a new Linux distribution, or if you are interested
in finding out what we are really up to, you can leave e-mail as always
to dyfett@aol.com.
package is Copyright (c) 1995 by Tycho Softworks. All rights reserved.