[gentoo-dev] KDE packages/categories and subcategories

* [gentoo-dev] KDE packages/categories and subcategories
@ 2001-08-08 13:51 Dan Armak
  2001-08-08 13:53 ` Dan Armak
  0 siblings, 1 reply; 13+ messages in thread
From: Dan Armak @ 2001-08-08 13:51 UTC (permalink / raw
  To: gentoo-dev

Hi all,

KDE 2.2 is around the corner (for a long time now :-(), but it'll be here at 
some point and should be easy enough to introduce into gentoo because we 
already have kde-2.2_beta1.

Once that happens, we'll be able to add the latest versions of all 
2.2-dependant kde apps, which are often enough the only versions.

In fact, since at least 95% of all kde apps are standard configure/make/make 
install stuff, adding them would be very easy and quick. Also, dependencies 
will be easy to track in creating ebuilds, since a working kdelibs present on 
the system accounts for almost everyhting except gcc. (There are, of course, 
apps which require other libs.)

Even if we don't do a massive addition of hundreds of apps, most of them will 
be added sometime, one by one, as our user base grows.

The problem is with categories. There are many hundreds if not thousands of 
apps registered on apps.kde.com, in 20+ categories. Obviously we can't put 
them all into kde-apps. But eventually most of them will acquire ebuilds. So 
I think we need to weigh sub-categories etc.

Possible solutions:

1. Put everything into kde-apps, as it is now.
Problems: as stated at beginning of post, too many ebuilds in one general 
category.
Benefits: completely compatible with existing structure, makes progressive 
adding of ebuilds easy.

2. Add just two or three kde-* categories, like we have with gnome.
Problems: still potentially too many programs in each category, and it is 
unclear what these two or three new categories should be (apps.kde.com has 
more than 20 categories, and upto 15 sub-categories for each fo those).
Benefits: Completely compatible with current structure. Doesn't affect 
existing ebuilds.

3. Dismantle kde-*. Put kde-base into x11-wm (or rather x11-de), koffice into 
app-office... This is what FreeBSD does with its ports.
Problems: even more uncompatible with current structure, breaks existing 
categories.
Benefits: may be the best solution without creating many new categories.

4. Create second-level categories, i.e. kde-apps/office, kde-apps/sound...
Problems: uncompatible with current structure, duplication of categories 
(kind of like FHS - /usr, /usr/local...) which, when dealing with ebuilds 
that optionally depend on kde, is very awkward. And a user searching for e.g. 
all cdr apps would have to check apps-cdr, kde-apps/apps-cdr, 
gnome-apps/apps-cdr...
Benefits: easy to categorize and find specific apps, fewest apps in each 
category without too many categories in the top dir.

5. Don't add the kde apps, ignore the issue for now. Concentrate on improving 
existing ebuilds. 

So, what do you think? Please comment!

-- 

Dan Armak
Gentoo Linux Developer, Desktop Team
Matan, Israel

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