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Re: [PATCH] setup.exe


Achim, reguardless of if this code getting into cygwin (or not), could
you be able to provide a copy of this on public git/whatever server?
I really like this.

Just for note, in the past, unattended instalation/update using
automated package management, we resorted into using apt-cyg written
by Stephen Jungels.
(http://code.google.com/apt-cyg)

However, I had requirements for closed network instalation, and (back
then nobody supported that) added options for --localdiskcache,
--force, --ForceUpdate and md5sum file check... etc. The modified
script is floating in superuser.com
(superuser.com/questions/99198/cygwin-offline-installer) if anyone
wants it.

Its just that we have duplication on effort here, not just me, Achim,
the cyg-apt(diffrent guy), more then few "Alternative" installers on
the net, each admin having their own way of ghosting/cloneing/setting
up cygwin...

It may not be the intended use-case of the cygwin dev, however with
all respect, there is a need for a solid cui with /short and sweet
options/automated install/update/package management/use of
proxy(s)/cache/use of mirror/alternative dir as source/dl from
multiple servers/offline/version check/hash check, as a bare minimum
requirement when managing multilpe clients.

And setup.exe has very good GUI, with new and improved commandlines,
its just that it is not suitable for day to day administration
purpose. However we all have diffrent ways of providing the package
data. Nfs/mirror/rsync/ftp/p2p/samba/dvd/ghost/proxy, etc,etc...
Trying to provide "Everything" in setup.exe is cauing the code to get
into spagetti.

Could we somehow share and concatinate the effort?

My 2cents worth of thought tells me, providing setup.exe as front
end/stub/gui to call a solid back end package manager is a reasonable
way to go. For admin purpose using the backend directly. With well
difined porotocol on package version control, we could start writeing
/ or even re-use existing package managers. Just a thought.

GreenFox


On 1/20/13, Christopher Faylor wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 09:47:31PM +0100, Achim Gratz wrote:
>>Christopher Faylor writes:
>>>I'm really not too keen on adding hacks to setup so that people can use
>>>it for other than its intended purpose.
>>
>>If there is another method to do an unattended Cygwin install, I'm all
>>ears.  I have briefly pondered to script a standalone installer, but it
>>requires too much infrastructure and I don't see much value in trying
>>to re-do what setup.exe already does.  The question of doing unattended
>>installs comes up often enough that official support would be nice,
>>IMHO.
>
> I was referring to your change which handled versioned setup.ini's.
> That is not a requirement for an unattended Cygwin install.
>
>>>The code is already a complicated obtuse mishmash and adding more stuff
>>>which would be used by only one person doesn't seem like a good idea.
>>
>>A self-fulfilling prophecy: nobody is doing it because nobody is doing
>>it.  I'll have to add on whatever I need, if it's useless to you then
>>just don't use it.
>
> If there was a general hue and cry for the feature that you want to add,
> I'd consider adding it.  AFAIK, there isn't.  If we did add it we would
> be obligated to support it so, if there is a need for this type of
> feature, I'd like to see a lot more discussion about why it's necessary
> and the best way to implement it.
>
> cgf
>


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