[ckan-discuss] sudo apt-get install data-pkg

Tue Sep 6 09:45:36 BST 2011

Hi Félix,
Thank you for your opinion. This solution may do exactly what I need with
some postinst hooks. However, I disagree with the radical distinction you
seem to make between data and programs. They definitelly have some
particularities wrt the storage/download/install process, but on the surface
they are just packages that depend on each other.

*.doc files depend on Libre/MS Office to be read
Powerpoint/Impress depend on a database of cliparts

(just to cite day-to-day examples)

The current solution is to have the dependencies between data and software
(and vice versa) on the hands of the user, often providing custom software
to help her/him with the install process, but many times making him/her
download files and place them in some requested folder.

For me, this would be a better world if I could use just one installer that
took care of dependencies between all kinds of packages (software and data).

Speculation: maybe the low uptake on datapkg is due exactly to this clear
cut distinction. If you are requested to download a file during the
installation process, it should be easy enough to just open the browser or
use wget. Using datapkg would in fact require two steps: first get datapkg,
then get the file you want. However, if the data download could be triggered
through the software install, then you wouldn't need to ask the user for
anything.

This is what I will try: hide the usage of datapkg inside my deb package.

Cheers
Pablo
On Sep 6, 2011 9:11 AM, "J. Félix Ontañón" <fontanon at emergya.es> wrote:
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