Package Managers
What are they and why we use them
Thoughts of an admin
Installing software is painful
Installing a lot of software is extremely painful
Installing a lot of software on a lot of machines is HELL
舉例 - LOL
天賦、符文
道具
Before Packages
Install from source
Time consuming
Varying configuration
Improvement 1
Copy the binaries
Setup scripts?
Version?
Dependencies?
Package - Basic
Archive
Binaries
Supporting files
Setup script
Package – Improvement
Versioning
◦ 1.0.x
◦ 1.1.x
◦ …
Upgrades!
Package - Dependencies
Program A requires library B to work
If library C is available, program A will work better/faster!
Example – Call of Duty
Requires: DirectX
Works better with: PhysX
Package Managers Low Level
Unpacking packages
Run configuration scripts
Dependency checks
…
Package Managers High Level
Fetch from remote repositories
Search
Install additional packages to meet dependencies
Handle complex upgrades
Package Repository
Collection of packages
Maintained by distribution
Multiple versions
Index
Package Managers
RPM Based DEB Based
Low level RPM Dpkg
High level YUM, up2date, … APT
DEBIAN DPKG & APT
Focus on
Types of Packages
Binary Package
Meta Package
Virtual Package
Binary Package
Normal package
Source is available
Architecture
◦ Dependent
Compiled binary files
◦ Independent
Scripts
Documents
Data files
Meta Package
Depends on other packages only
Rename
◦ git-core -> git
Default version
◦ gcc -> gcc-4.6
◦ Python -> python2.7
Can be creative!
Virtual Package
Does not really exist
Names common functionality
Other binary packages “provide”
a virtual package
c-compiler is provided by
◦ gcc
◦ gcc-4.6
◦ clang
Commonly Used Commands
apt-get
apt-cache
aptitude
◦ Frontend to the first 2 commands
Search for a package
apt-cache search ^vim$
Search pattern
State flags
Search Patterns
Patterns are regular expressions
Aptitude supports complex patterns
◦ See reference
Search requires guessing
◦ Just like Googling
Differences
Aptitude and apt-cache have slighty different behavior
◦ Aptitude looks at package name only
◦ Apt-cache looks at description as well
State Flags
i Installed c Removed p Purged
v Virtual package
B Broken dependencies u Unpacked
C Half-configured H Half-installed
Try it!
You want to install a web server.
What do you look for?
What should you actually install?
Looking at a package
Web interface
◦ http://packages.debian.org
CLI
◦ apt-cache show XXX
◦ aptitude show XXX
Debian Control File
Try it now!
Package Info
Name
State
Version
Priority
Section
Maintainer
Architecture
Dependencies
Description
Package Info - State
installed
not installed
removed
…
Package Info - Version
Vim: 2:7.3.547-6
2: -> Epoch
7.3.547 -> Upstream version
-6 -> Debian package revision
Package Info - Priority
Required
Important
Standard
Optional
Extra
Package Info - Dependencies
Depends
Recommends
Suggests
Conflicts
Replaces
Breaks
Provides
Syntax:
http://www.debian.org/doc/debian- policy/ch-relationships.html
Installing / Removing
apt-get install XXX
aptitude install XXX
remove/purge
hold/unhold
upgrade
dist-upgrade
remove vs. purge
Remove keeps config files in system
Purge = Remove + delete config files
hold/unhold
Keep a package at a specific state/version unless explicitly request otherwise
upgrade vs. dist-upgrade
upgrade only updates currently installed packages
dist-upgrade will do anything to satisfy all new dependencies
Try it now!
Install a web server
Then remove it
See that config files are still there
Then purge it
MAKING A PACKAGE
Why?
Customize
Software not packaged yet
◦ Become a maintainer?
Build your own
Making your first package
Basic structure
◦ package/XXX
Files you want to package
◦ package/DEBIAN/control
Debian control file
◦ package/DEBIAN/xxx
Package scripts, other control files
dpkg-deb –b package
Homework –
Build a meta package
Name: nasa-hw
Should always install
◦ gcc no older than 4.7
◦ make newer than 3.80
Should not install when
◦ clang is installed
Maintainer: Your ID <your email>
Use your judgment for other fields
◦ Read the documents!
Submit .deb file
Too simple?
Debian related source code
◦ source/debian/rules
◦ source/debian/control
◦ source/debian/changelog
◦ source/debian/…
Guidelines for packaging
Debian 新維護人員手冊
◦ http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals /maint-guide/
Get other package sources and see how other people do it
◦ apt-get source XXX
Packages for packaging
build-essential
dpkg-dev
debhelper
CDBS
dh_make
lintian
build-essential
Meta package that depends on essential tools for packaging
You need to install additional tools/libraries
◦ debhelper, cdbs, …
◦ lib*-dev
dpkg-dev
Basic tools for package development
dpkg-buildpackage
Debhelper
Collection of commands to assist packaging
Wraps complex steps
◦ Splitting files between different packages
◦ Generating shared library dependencies
◦ Generate and sign binary packages
◦ …
CDBS
Common Debian Build System
Class based system
Supports different build systems
◦ make, ant, cmake, …
http://www.slideshare.net/petere isentraut/the-common-debian-
build-system-cdbs
dh_make
Prepare source code for packaging
Always uses debhelper
Supports CDBS
lintian
Check packages for errors
Steps to packaging
http://www.debian.org/doc/manual s/maint-guide/first.en.html
1. Get source code
2. Unpack
3. dh_make
4. Install build dependencies
5. Check control file
6. Check installation paths
7. Build package
◦ dpkg-buildpackage -b
Homework
Build a package of “Omnitty”
◦ http://omnitty.sourceforge.net/
You will also need to build a package for “ROTE”
◦ http://omnitty.sourceforge.net/
Build it, install it, and try it out
Submit .deb for omnitty
Tips
Packages you can look at
◦ libevent
◦ screen
◦ tmux
◦ make
HOMEWORK RECAP
nasa-hw meta package
omnitty binary package
Leave your packages on 217 workstation
◦ Mail the path of your package to wens_at_csie.org
Start sooner! You need to do
research to finish this assignment.
