Re: [gentoo-server] Linux Standard Base and Linux Core Consortium

[Andy Dustman]

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 18:20:10 +0100, Jose Gonzalez Gomez
<jgonzalez@×××××××××××.com> wrote:

>     Anyway, is the RPM format mandatory for the whole system, or just
> for installing LSB compliant software?

http://refspecs.freestandards.org/LSB_2.0.1/LSB-Core/LSB-Core/swinstall.html

"Applications shall either be packaged in the RPM packaging format as
defined in this specification, or supply an installer which is LSB
conforming (for example, calls LSB commands and utilities). [1]

Distributions shall provide a mechanism for installing applications in
this packaging format with some restrictions listed below. [2]

"[1]	Supplying an RPM format package is encouraged because it makes
systems easier to manage. A future version of the LSB may require RPM,
or specify a way for an installer to update a package database.

"Applications are also encouraged to uninstall cleanly.

"[2]	The distribution itself may use a different packaging format for
its own packages, and of course it may use any available mechanism for
installing the LSB-conformant packages."

My interpretation of this is, Gentoo is LSB-compliant now -- on this
point at least -- because different packaging formats are allowed; and
the installer (Portage)  presumably calls "LSB commands and
utilities"; and while RPM is not in the system profile, you can simply
run "emerge rpm" to install it; and [2] specificially allows different
packaging for the distribution itself.

I suspect the rest of the core specification is non-controversial,
except perhaps the section on system initialization, and perhaps users
and groups, but I haven't read these.
-- 
Computer interfaces should never be made of meat.

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