TITLE: Package management with git LFS VERSION: all AUTHOR: Dieter Scholz SYNOPSIS: git (Guarded Installation Tool) is an easy to use, powerful package management program. It helps you to keep track about what packages you've installed so far and what files 'make install' added to your LFS system. HINT: Changelog: ---------- 26.04.02 initial release Download: --------- The git script was written by Ingo Brueckl and can be found at: http://home.wtal.de/ib/freisoft/ Be sure to check the LICENSE file. If you use git in a non-commercial way its free, but it does not explicitly mention commercial usage. Please contact the author, if you want to use it in your business. Overview: --------- Here is a small feature list of what you can expect: - git is easy to use - git creates uninstall scripts for every archive - no additional software is necessary - directories can be excluded from being watched - git provides information about files installed more than once - git shows the archive name for each registered file If you start building a completly new system I recommend to use git right from the beginning. Preparation: ------------ After downloading the git archive manually copy the git script into /usr/sbin. Open the git script in your favorite editor and adapt the configuration section according to your needs (you probably want to add the /usr/src directory to the IGNOREDIRS section). All the directories (and their subdirs) in the WATCHDIRS variable are included in the package management process. If you want to exclude subdirectories that are part of the WATCHDIRS directories, you should put their names in the IGNOREDIRS variable. Now you are ready for package management. Basic usage: ------------ Whenever you install a new package all you have to do is: 1.) Run the normal configure and/or make operations of the package: ./configure make 2.) Before you issue the 'make install' command: git make install git 3.) You now have 4 choices: f - create uninstall script s - shows state of installation q - quit r - revoke installation 4.) Look at uninstall script in configured viewer. If you want to uninstall a package the only thing you have to do is to call the uninstall script in the /var/state/git directory (perhaps it is a good idea to xcheck dependencies before - see below). Addional functionality: ----------------------- 1.) Find the corresponding archive(s) for a given file: git --find returns: list of archives 2.) Crosscheck if files installed by an archive were installed more than once: git --xcheck Tips: ----- #1 Read the README file that comes with the git archive. #2 If you want to use git right from the beginning of your LFS install git will not work when switching from Chapter 5 to Chapter 6, because git needs the find program. You can either: - copy the existing find program of your starting distro into the $LFS/usr/bin directory or - create a static find by following the instructions given in the 'keep_chap5_and_chap6_sep.txt'-hint. Misc: ----- If you find any language or logical errors, please contact me directly (see above). To discuss package management please use the blfs.support group.