Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

mxcl · 2006-05-21 20:31:52

Last updated: 17th-Feb-2007

With Wocka you can do:

./configure
make
su
wocka

and you'll get the application installed, and a pacman db entry too.

Wocka automatically figures out the package name, version and/or subversion revision, and if it can, other metadata too. It determines the build system (make, unsermake, scons, cmake, etc.). It can also create a basic PKGBUILD, with some of the fields (eg name, version) magically filled in. It can also handle upgrades and check AUR for PKGBUILDs.

Visit the site for a Arch linux package, the source tarball, and detailed usage examples. There's also a feed you can subscribe to at the site if you want to be notified of updates.

http://methylblue.com/wocka/

Comments, contributions, etc. most welcome! Thanks.

===========
I have discovered other programs that do a similar thing for Arch. They may be better and you may want to consider them, or at least demand I implement things they do into Wocka If you do use one of the others, I'd like to hear why, if you have the time, thanks!

bpkg
creapkg
pacinstall
versionpkg

Last edited by mxcl (2007-02-17 03:24:12)

barebones · 2006-05-21 20:55:26

What are the benifits of using this over makepkg?

mxcl · 2006-05-21 21:08:15

You don't have to write a PKGBUILD file. For me it was always too much of a PITA to write a PKGBUILD.

But if you still love PKGBUILDs it can generate a basic one, and attempt to run makepkg with it: pacgen --makepkg

I generally dislike creating pkgbuilds for one off builds as errors mean you have to run configure again, rebuild everything till the error etc. And you can't always find a PKGBUILD, nor do I really like using AUR, I prefer to do things myself, hence this tool.

barebones · 2006-05-21 22:53:02

ahh, gotcha.

While I will probabily use the AUR for stuff still, this seems like it might be useful for stuff that doesn't play nice with prefixes.

n0gabor · 2006-06-26 00:19:15

Awsome stuff...what i wanted is a checkinstall like tool for pacman.
Thanks man!

Send a PKGBUILD to AUR!

sud_crow · 2006-06-26 01:56:13

Greate tool indeed.
I like most the function that provides a basic PKGBUILD...

ps. wasnt pacman's sound waka waka waka?

tomk · 2006-06-26 06:53:41

mxcl wrote:

For me it was always too much of a PITA to write a PKGBUILD.
<snip>
.... nor do I really like using AUR

n0gabor wrote:

Send a PKGBUILD to AUR!

n0gabor · 2006-06-26 10:20:27

i didn't read it...

I make a PKGBUILD for AUR if you don't mind...

Gullible Jones · 2006-06-26 10:32:03

Now this is very cool. Thanks!

iphitus · 2006-06-26 12:30:48

nice idea, was going to do it myself once... but dude, wtf with the name?

pacgen was a reasonable name, but wocka? what were you drinking.

snader · 2006-06-26 13:12:43

Awesome job!

sh__ · 2006-06-26 15:41:08

iphitus wrote:

nice idea, was going to do it myself once... but dude, wtf with the name?
pacgen was a reasonable name, but wocka? what were you drinking.

From http://methylblue.com/wocka/:

Why Wocka?
pacman, from the famous computer game, says "wocka, wocka, wocka!" as he goes along

iphitus · 2006-06-27 09:04:55

i get it now, i like it!

mucknert · 2006-06-27 09:09:11

Awesome! Now I can finally make the packages I was always dreaming of but were too lazy to do them on my own. Great work!

phrakture · 2006-06-27 16:08:31

You should have talked to Xentac. He already has an app named "Wakka" IIRC.

Gullible Jones · 2006-06-28 18:47:50

Wait a minute, why the heck does this thing require QT? It doesn't have a GUI so why would it use the QT library? :?

mxcl · 2006-06-29 21:18:46

Firstly, I'm really sorry I didn't see the above new replies, I subscribed to this thread, but never got the emails... Must have been my spam filter I expect.

Gullible Jones wrote:

Wait a minute, why the heck does this thing require QT? It doesn't have a GUI so why would it use the QT library? :?

I used Qt as I have 4 years experience with it and develop fast with it. With Qt4 the library is separated into Core (CLI only) and GUI components, so as soon as Arch ships Qt4 and people have it installed en-mass, I'll switch to the CLI only library. I apologise if you think I'm crazy/stupid, you may be right

You should have talked to Xentac. He already has an app named "Wakka" IIRC.

Hmm sucks, I may have to rename again. I renamed the first time as pacgen is a name already used by two other projects!

sud_crow wrote:

wasnt pacman's sound waka waka waka?

heh could be, I'm not a pacman expert. Extralife the webcomic always makes pacman say "Wocka!", but I spose I should have done more research!

phrakture wrote:

Send a PKGBUILD to AUR!

Yeah I half did this and then couldn't figure out how to work the AUR or something. I'll try again.

I had 0.3 ready a few weeks ago, then I started using my CRT with my new XBOX 360 and didn't boot to Linux until yesterday Now I have some new TFTs.

The changes since 0.2:
· Automatic upgrade/merge for new installs of subversion managed source installations
· Better versioning detection
· Easy automatic AUR builds via: wocka --aur appname
· Metadata is extracted from LSM files
· --upgrade switch

The upgrade switch basically merges the old package with what's just installed, so you don't lose any information, I figured this was the safest route. Please correct me if you disagree. Thanks

Gullible Jones · 2006-06-30 01:26:04

Perhaps you could work with someone else to switch it to something other than QT? Eh... It's not a big deal, just kind of annoying.

joepotter · 2006-06-30 19:08:48

mxcl wrote:

With Wocka you can do:
./configure
make
su
wocka
and you'll get the source installed, and a pacman db entry too.
Wocka automatically figures out ...

What is the proper way to install the wocka package in the first place?

After that, could you give an example of using it?

Thanks.

Gullible Jones · 2006-06-30 19:19:20

There's a package on his website...

joepotter · 2006-06-30 19:51:18

Gullible Jones wrote:

There's a package on his website...

My problem is that the thing does not work here. I downloaded the file which is 0.3.1, not 0.3 but the instructions say that I should be able to do the following:

$ tar xzf wocka-0.3.tar.gz
~$ cd wocka-0.3
wocka-0.3$ ./configure
[[snip]]
...

That does not happen. I do not get a wocka-0.3 sub-directory. I was hoping he would tell me what to do now.

I even tried the binary ../usr/bin/wocka that unpacks but that does nothing but give an error.

Thanks.

Edit: Just to be clear, I am saying the example on the fellow's home page does not work. It may have worked for 0.3 but not for 0.3.1.

Anyone got a 0.3 they would post so I might us it?

Gullible Jones · 2006-06-30 20:15:56

I was referring to this binary package.

joepotter · 2006-06-30 20:31:21

Gullible Jones wrote:

I was referring to this binary package.

Sorry, I now see that both packages are there. There is a binary for installation via "pacman -A" and a source package. I went with the binary, so unfortunately I did not get to see the example of wocka installing itself as on the homepage.

But, thanks for the help. These old eyes did not see that 0.3 is source pacage and 0.3-1 is a binary package especially for Arch.

sud_crow · 2006-07-02 19:23:22

Hi, i have been trying wocka with some success in certain packages and not too much in others... I think it is a fine tool and i hope you keep developing it.

I just wanted to detail something (bug report?):

I did a wocka --makepkg (as i wanted to keep the pkg around for distribution), and it built the package ok, but when i installed it, i found it was installed to /usr/local/bin, instead of the usual Arch style of /usr/bin.
I think you should review the part where it runs the configure script to include the flag --prefix=/usr

Regards and keep up the good work.

mxcl · 2006-07-03 16:40:56

sud_crow wrote:

Hi, i have been trying wocka with some success in certain packages and not too much in others... I think it is a fine tool and i hope you keep developing it.

Thanks, and I'd like to test circumstances where it doesn't work, if anyone has time to detail them here or you can get my email from the site. I'll ahve to add my email to --help.

I did a wocka --makepkg (as i wanted to keep the pkg around for distribution), and it built the package ok, but when i installed it, i found it was installed to /usr/local/bin, instead of the usual Arch style of /usr/bin.
I think you should review the part where it runs the configure script to include the flag --prefix=/usr

This makes sense, thanks. Will update.

Arch Linux

#1 2006-05-21 20:31:52

Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#2 2006-05-21 20:55:26

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#3 2006-05-21 21:08:15

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#4 2006-05-21 22:53:02

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#5 2006-06-26 00:19:15

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#6 2006-06-26 01:56:13

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#7 2006-06-26 06:53:41

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#8 2006-06-26 10:20:27

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#9 2006-06-26 10:32:03

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#10 2006-06-26 12:30:48

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#11 2006-06-26 13:12:43

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#12 2006-06-26 15:41:08

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#13 2006-06-27 09:04:55

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#14 2006-06-27 09:09:11

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#15 2006-06-27 16:08:31

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#16 2006-06-28 18:47:50

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#17 2006-06-29 21:18:46

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#18 2006-06-30 01:26:04

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#19 2006-06-30 19:08:48

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#20 2006-06-30 19:19:20

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#21 2006-06-30 19:51:18

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#22 2006-06-30 20:15:56

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#23 2006-06-30 20:31:21

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#24 2006-07-02 19:23:22

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

#25 2006-07-03 16:40:56

Re: Wocka 0.5 - checkinstall for Arch Linux

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