From: intc_ctor@... (Phil Tomson)
Date: 2004-03-13T03:29:36+09:00
Subject: raa-install or RubyGems in 1.8? (evolution or revolution?)

why the lucky stiff <ruby-talk@whytheluckystiff.net> wrote in message news:<40516BEE.9050505@whytheluckystiff.net>...
> Shajith wrote:
> >  
> > Q: Is raa-install part of the ruby distribution? I for one, find it 
> > _very_ nifty.
> > 
> > Sticking to skimmed milk, for now.
> > 
> 
> i think a question like that really depends on the likes of other 
> competitive software like rubygems.  and rubygems is a visionary world 
> beyond raa-install.  should rubygems come to fruition, raa-install will 
> melt away as the tiniest candle on the firey tongue of a skeleton 
> avalanche. so, despite a great amount of support over the last year, 
> raa-install likely won't be seen in the main distribution.

Isn't the advantage of raa-install that it works with the current RAA?
 Wouldn't Rubygems require a whole new infrastructure? (or at least
the creation of a gem file for each package in the RAA)

I agree that longterm RubyGems seems like the better way to go from a
technical standpoint, but these things tend to be evolutionary rather
than revolutionary.  If raa-install works well with the current system
it has a survival advantage over RubyGems.  If I'm understanding
correctly, RubyGems requires every package owner to repackage their
packages as Gems - well, how many people are going to do that in a
timely fashion?  (If I'm misunderstanding how RubyGems works then
please correct me)

RubyGems sounds great, but I'm afraid it requires a revolution and I
don't even see anyone out trying to stir up that revolution at this
point.  Where are the RubyGem advocates?

Perhaps we could somehow merge the two approaches to build a bridge
between the current RAA and some future Gem-based RAA?  An raa-install
that can handle Gems or a  RubyGems that can also work with the
current RAA?  This sort of mutant just might have a chance at
survival.

> 
> unless perhaps we could simply include the skim milk version (read: 
> trimmed down for 1.8) and leverage rubygems or rpkg if they take hold. 
> i dunno.  not my decision.  and i don't wield a battleaxe big enough to 
> wage that war.

What's the 'skim milk' version of raa-install?

> 
> mine is a keychain battleaxe and i use it to execute judgement on 
> stubborn shoelaces.
> 

And my light-saber is a flashlight-saber used to light the way as I
trick-or-treat on Halloween.  The 'D' cells tend to run down by the
end of the evening and, like Cinderella, I need to be home before they
die.

Phil