From: David Ross Date: 2004-08-23T07:48:05+09:00 Subject: Re: [ANN] rpa-base 0.2.1pre1 Great work batsman. --- Mauricio Fern�ndez wrote: > > rpa-base 0.2.1pre1 is now available at > http://rpa-base.rubyforge.org . > Many of the most popular libraries/applications as > per Rubyforge > statistics (rails, rake, redcloth, activerecord, > sqlite, log4r, copland, > ruvi, to name a few) have been packaged for use with > rpa-base 0.2.1pre1. > > You can find a list of the 100+ packages at > > http://rpa-base.rubyforge.org/wiki/wiki.cgi?Packaged_Software > > Screenshots and animations can be found at > > http://rpa-base.rubyforge.org/wiki/wiki.cgi?Rpa_Base_In_Action > > rpa-base 0.2.1pre1 fixes some issues in the > bootstrapping phase, which > couldn't hence be solved through the normal > self-upgrade mechanism. > In addition to several other bugfixes, 0.2.1pre1 > features better proxy > support, isolation of unit tests run automatically > when installing a > lib/app, and improvements in the command-line tool. > > Foreword > -------- > > The Ruby Production Archive (RPA) will provide > packages of Ruby > libraries and programs in a form that allows > production use, engineered > through a stringent process resembling FreeBSD's or > Debian's. > > rpa-base is a port/package manager designed to > support RPA. Its scope and > purposes are different to those of other systems > like RubyGems. > > Features > ======== > > rpa-base is a port/package manager designed to > support RPA's client-side > package management. You can think of it as RPA's > apt-get + dpkg. It > features the following as of 0.2.1pre1: > > * strong dependency management: rpa-base installs > dependencies as needed, > keeps track of reverse dependencies on uninstall, > and will remove no > longer needed dependencies > * atomic (de)installs: operations on the local RPA > installation are atomic > transactions; the system has been designed to > survive ruby crashes (OS > crashes too on POSIX systems) > * parallel installs: you can install several ports > in parallel; builds > will be parallelized and the final phase will be > serialized properly > * self-hosting: rpa-base installs and updates > itself > * modular, extensible design: the 2-phase install > is similar to FreeBSD and > Debian's package creation; rpa-base packages need > not be restricted > to installing everything under a single directory > ("1 package, 1 dir" > paradigm) > * rdoc integration: RDoc documentation for > libraries is generated at install > time (currently disabled on win32) > * ri integration: ri data files are generated for > all the libraries managed > by RPA; you can access this information with > ri-rpa > * handling C extensions: if you have the required C > toolchain, rpa-base can > compile extensions as needed > * unit testing: when a library is installed, its > unit tests are run; the > installation is canceled if they don't pass > > > Several of the above features are illustrated in the > screenshots and > animations available at > > http://rpa-base.rubyforge.org/wiki/wiki.cgi?Rpa_Base_In_Action > > Limitations: > ============ > A number of features have been pushed back to 0.3.0: > * full support for binary platform-specific > packages > * signed packages/ports > * system-wide configuration system > * better user interface > > In practice, the first one is the most limiting at > the moment since it means > that win32 users in particular need a working C > toolchain to install > extensions. This will soon be addressed. > > Status > ------ > > Please keep in mind that RPA is at an embryonic > stage; this means that > it is impossible to commit to all the long term > goals stated in the > manifesto > (http://rpa-base.rubyforge.org/wiki/wiki.cgi?RpaManifesto) > at > the moment. This doesn't make rpa-base any less > usable however. > > rpa-base requires Ruby 1.8.[12] (certainly 1.8 at > least, it might work > on 1.8.0); it has been tested on several Linux > distributions (Debian, > Fedora, older RH, Gentoo, etc), FreeBSD, DragonFly > BSD, Mac OSX, win32 > (cygwin, 'pragmatic installer', WinXP and 2K). > > rpa-base is fairly stable at this stage; it has been > tested on several > platforms during the last 2 1/2 months. Since > rpa-base can self-update, > eventual bugs discovered through the intensive > testing associated with > a public release could be solved easily by upgrading > rpa-base using > rpa-base itself. > > We would appreciate any feedback on rpa-base. > A mailing list has been set up for that purpose: > > http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rpa-base-testers > > > RPA needs your help > =================== > RPA is an ambitious project in need for developers. > These are some of the > areas that need to be worked on: > * packaging (new software and package maintenance) > * setting up a permanent repository infrastructure > * cross-compilation and build automation > * website development (should provide package > indexes, QA section, > bugtracking, etc) > > Please contact me at (adding > RPA to the subject > will help get it past the spam filtering ;) or via > IRC, batsman @ > #ruby-lang on freenode.net if you have any interest > or for any additional > information on RPA/rpa-base and their goals. > > -- > Running Debian GNU/Linux Sid (unstable) > batsman dot geo at yahoo dot com > > > ---------------------------------------- -- Name: David Ross -- Phone: 865.539.3798 -- Email: drossruby [at] yahoo [dot] com ---------------------------------------- _______________________________ Do you Yahoo!? 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