On Tue, 3 Feb 2004, Leif Jessen wrote:
> The reason I ask is that I find the current install documentation
> lacking. You've got the best there is for Linux, but essentially all
> you have is "download these RPMs". I think SVN could be big, but
> adoption will also depend on it's barrier to entry. I'd like to first
> put together a complete step-by-step document on what's needed, why, and
> their dependencies, and then, time permitting, put together a turnkey
> tool, which if downloaded would implement all of those steps and guide
> the user to the end result of working install and repository. My
> problem is knowing whose brain to pick for all of that.
>
If all you are building is a client then you don't need much more than
just subversion, neon, db4, apr/apr-util (db4 and apr/apr-util have at
some times been problematic in the past).
However, if you want the server also then that adds the apache 2.X series.
That can have interesting ripple effects on other packages that depend on
apache, such as mod_perl, mod_php, and others.
Then if you want the python bindings, you have to make sure you have
python (not a big problem) and get SWIG working (sometimes problematic).
Then if you want doxygen documentation you have to make sure you have that
installed and working properly (some platforms have it, others don't).
Then if you want the perl-bindings you have to make sure your perl is
up-to-date (which can have big ripple affects on other packages, and SWIG
has to be built with that option also).
Then if you want the book built you have to have DOCLITE, XSLT and several
other packages and that can also have some ripple effects on other packages.
So, all in all, what sounds like it should be just a simple build process
has turned into a 2 year very interesting odyssey, what with trying to get
it to work first on 3 and now 4 (RH7.X, RH8, RH9, Fedora) platforms all
with different sets of packages that come installed and having to maintain
different sets of RPMs with support packages changing from
time-to-time....whew!
I've not even done the JAVA bindings yet.... :-)
Hope this helps give an idea on why some or a lot of support packages are
needed to have a "full" install.
Given all of that, I'd still like to do one for RHEL3 but at this point I
don't think I'll be buying it. However, if someone can give me an account
on a RHEL3 machine I wouldn't mind working on building the RPMs for it....
but it is being done in my (copious) spare time (ha ha).
- David Summers
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Received on Tue Feb 3 21:57:06 2004