[Popcon-developers] supporting PackageMap in Debian?

[Sebastian Pipping]

Paul Wise wrote:
> I recently noticed your posts on Planet Gentoo about PackageMap and
> smolt software popularity support.

Hello, thanks for you interest in PackageMap.


> How would distributions add support for PackageMap to their packages?
> I'm thinking in Debian/Ubuntu/etc we would just add a PackageMap field
> (initially as XSB-PackageMap until it enters policy) to the
> debian/control file, which would be sent out to apt via the Packages and
> Sources files. apt-cache, aptitude and PackageKit could then gain the
> ability to deal with PackageMap package names as well as distro-specific
> package names.

Adding such entries on distro package level would come with a few
strong drawbacks:

 - People without commit access to the package tree (say of Debian)
   cannot help PackageMap complete and up to date.
   For instance, I am neither Debian nor Gentoo developer and
   could not have committed a single entry myself.

 - Progress on distro X and in total is not easily visible
   or even detectable.  With everything in one repository (as is)
   that's easy.

 - One point of the project is to get distros closer together.
   Everyone working downstream would help a lot less in that regard.
   I give out commit access to anyone who's a distro developer.
   All I need is an SSH public key.

 - There's a substition map (see database/substitution.txt atm)
   to handle CPE renames and aliases.  That map is not bound
   to a single distro which means that if everyone works
   downstream no one fixes the substitution map.

That's the core reasons coming to my mind atm.  I understand it might
feel more at home extending distro packages by that information
but it would break the whole concept.  It's a bit like everyone leaving
their homes to collaborate on the street.  If all goes well everyone
starts feeling home at the street too. :-)


> PS: Is the smolt software popularity support based on PackageKit at all?

No.  I wrote to their mailing list to get feedback from a cross-distro
community.


> PPS: standards.freedesktop.org might be a better place to put the DTDs.

Do you have a contact for me that can help me set this up?


> PPPS: thank you very very much for creating PackageMap and smolt popcon.

Great to hear you like it.



Sebastian