[Pkg-crosswire-devel] Module packaging, distribution, and management

[Eeli Kaikkonen]

Quoting Peter von Kaehne <refdoc at gmx.net>:

>>
>> Really?  Is the admin really commonly running GnomeSword (for example)
>> as root?  On Ubuntu?  I would find that very surprising.
>
> Is this the way you would solve this problem? Ouch. Then I can
> understand your fear of having the module manager running the show.
>
> I would simply use  'sudo installmgr' from the command line.
> Installation of modules on a shared basis is a sysadmin act and should
> go via sudo.

I already wrote that I could use the apps as root (though preferably  
via sudo). It's always a security risk, of course - but so is using  
installmgr. It's also possible to mirror the whole module repository  
with e.g. wget - I think the mirror can be used as is as a local repo,  
or it can be used as a local source for installing. The modules can be  
install by just copying them. Then the internet security is as weak as  
wget. But this is a bit offtopic...

>
> For the majority of ubuntu users this is essentially a irrelevancy as
> they will be single user systems. You are welcome to file a bug against
> GS or BT to have a admin user calling sudo to allow systemwide installation.

In BT this idea has already been previously rejected (at least by me).  
It's not guaranteed that there is sudo in the system and we can't  
implement all possible security schemes.

>
> Well if you are not willing to read then I can not help you. I would
> suggest that you have no business in this matter than.

This is too strong suggestion. I wouldn't read the whole mailing list  
to get some specific info, and I would rather help the one who asks.  
But I think there's nothing which needs help in this specific matter.

>
> Incidentally I have read Debian annd Ubuntu policy files and I have
> found nothing suggesting that your plan is remotely within their policy.

I have read them also (long time ago), and the Debian guidelines and  
tutorials for packagers. I don't remember anything which suggests that  
the Debian package manager should be used in this case.