Re: [TCLUG:19247] A proposal for Debian...

["Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom" <carls@agritech.com>]

>What is needed, IMHO, is...
>
>    1.  A way to retrieve any version of a binary package at any time.
>
>    2a. A way to tag a specific version of a package based on it's lifecycle.
>        (i.e. DEV, TEST, PROD, MAINT, DEFUNCT)
>
>    2b. A way to tag a version of a package based on the lifecycle of
>        the actual program it contains.
>
>    3.  A way to grade a package based on it's stability or lack of bugs
>
>    4.  A way to install, upgrade, or remove versioned packages based
>        on the values found in 2 and 3.
>
>    5.  A way to consult the "popularity contest" scores of the package
>        during the installation process.

	this occurs to me, to be an extension of what the
Linuxberg/Tucows Linux sites do; in providing a vaguely searchable
archive that rates the quality of packages.
	combine that with debian.org's excellent web-based package
archive; and one has the visual components of what you are asking for
(as I understand it. correct me if I am wrong.)

	the tool that occurs to me, to take advantage of this; would
be some sort of apt extension to a web browser (or alternatively, an
HTML-based apt tool), which would allow you to simply click on a link,
launching an apt tool.

	hmmm... I'm not in the least familiar with GUI apt tools;
could .deb files be associated with an apt tool, such that clicking on
a link to a package, in one's web browser, would launch the tool and
give it some information?

>If there were ever to be a revolutionary change to how OS's are
>installed and maintained, this would be it.  
	I believe I agree.

to summarize; I belive that Debian's web site could be improved to
provide versioning and quality feedback information; and a tool could
be built which takes advantage of that site and information.

does this sound reasonable, or am I missing something?

Carl Soderstrom
_________________________________________
Systems Administrator    307 Brighton Ave. 
Minnesota DHIA	         Buffalo, MN	
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