What do you change or getting better in Arch?

aqamar · 2008-10-24 14:41:23

Greetings Archers!

I like to know their ideas about would like to change or getting better in ArchLinux; perhaps an idea can be implemented soon in our beloved distro...

My ideas:

- A makeworld works out-the-box, not pacbuild for recompile all my system
- In the description of the new packages, i like a tiny description of the changelog of the package
-A ArchLinux most fast!!!:D
-the menu grub for the next Snapshot ISO with the philosophy KISS...

Ranguvar · 2008-10-24 18:16:15

Gentoo-like USE flags for the ABS. and an "old'n'tested" repo for important packages are the _only_ things I'd add/change. And both would require lots of work, so...

SiC · 2008-10-24 18:27:20

Ranguvar wrote:

Gentoo-like USE flags for the ABS. and an "old'n'tested" repo for important packages are the _only_ things I'd add/change. And both would require lots of work, so...

I'd like a rollback feature in pacman... so that you could rollback any package upgrades you perform if you find that something breaks when you reboot.

Ranguvar · 2008-10-24 18:49:15

@SiC: You can (kind of) already: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Downgrade_packages

moljac024 · 2008-10-24 19:14:01

Downgrading packages seems like a constant issue for some. And not everyone keeps old versions or even new ones in cache.
Maybe a repository with all packages that are one version behind ?

rson451 · 2008-10-24 19:18:34

I don't think that keeping a repo around for downgrading is a good idea. There is alot of overhead cost with that. The more practical way to remedy downgrading a package that you've removed from your cache would be to hop on irc and ask those of us who don't clean our caches for a copy. I've handed out multiple kernels on irc to people in need and I've got no problems doing it if I've got the package.

Dusty · 2008-10-24 19:22:50

Bikeshed!

phrakture · 2008-10-24 20:12:52

I'd like a pony

cactus · 2008-10-24 20:33:39

I would like a taco.

schivmeister · 2008-10-24 20:35:26

I need some translation =/

SiC · 2008-10-24 20:35:34

phrakture wrote:

I'd like a pony

OsceolaOrg%5CMyLittlePony.JPG

SiC · 2008-10-24 20:38:09

Ranguvar wrote:

@SiC: You can (kind of) already: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Downgrade_packages

Yeah I know you can do it manually, but if you do a pacman -Syu infrequently, sometimes you get a number of packages that upgrade in sync with others, the best example of this is the kernel. It would be nice to be able to rollback a particular transaction, say using pacman --rollback which would uninstall the last update and install the packages installed before. It's not a particular hardship to do, but I'm lazy.

wonder · 2008-10-24 20:46:53

i don't want to change anything. archlinux is better like it is now.

Ranguvar · 2008-10-24 20:51:57

I don't think keeping all packages, all one version behind... too much space used, and pacman's cache greatly helps for minor updates. How about 'core' packages (not necessarily the core repo only), and versions that have worked for a long time? As in, a package is updated with changes that are of a nature likely to break some dependent apps, possibly those in the AUR or not even that.

whargoul · 2008-10-24 21:04:56

Arch Linux needs to be more Ubuntu-ish.

haxit · 2008-10-24 21:08:17

whargoul wrote:

Arch Linux needs to be more Ubuntu-ish.

Your kidding, right?

I like arch just the way it is.

skottish · 2008-10-24 21:08:48

Dusty wrote:

Bikeshed!

Arch needs to define bikeshed using BSD style scripts:

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/articles/ … eshed.html

Acecero · 2008-10-24 21:15:33

cactus wrote:

I would like a taco.

pacman -Sy taco

hussam · 2008-10-24 21:22:14

Please replace the the ArchLinux logo by a picture of Phrakture wearing black dragon armor

ChoK · 2008-10-24 21:30:23

I definitely want USE flags support the gentoo way
how i miss something like -alsa +oss from gentoo ...

Ranguvar · 2008-10-24 21:47:05

Yeah... A distro's package manager is one of the most important things that sets it apart. Well, that's in a perfect world where distros are vanilla like Slackware and Arch, but even still. pacman IMO has reached the pinnacle of binary package management. Apt is also very good, but pacman seems faster to me (maybe because there's a university not ten miles from here that has package mirrors but it is faster install-wise too from what I see), and I don't know of any features Apt has that pacman doesn't. So, the logical next way to go is source-based package management for those who want it.

Contrary to popular belief, I have found in my experience:

A.) Source-based management is more about customizability and reducing uneeded dependencies than speed these days.
B.) There was a noticeable boost for me... A second here or there makes a noticeable difference, while not critical by any means.

Arch probably handles source-based management better than any other primarily binary-based distro, but the USE flags concept is not in the ABS, sadly. Although I do think that if Arch tries out something like that, weshould take a look at the ideas in SourceMage, Lunar, and the now-defunct Sorcerer. All have a fresher approach on USE flags that I think is preferable, but are (sadly) unpopular.

If Arch became a competitor to Gentoo for the source-based lover's choice, I see Arch's potential booming, as well as the user/dev base. Gentoo is at a low right now (although I don't want to sound like there's a 'war' or anything just an opportunity to make good software).

The biggest problem would be researching/documenting all the different compile options, and ensuring compatibility with binary Arch correct? Any problems forseeable with the latter? Adding an option to inital install from source shouldn't be hard, and the ABS tool itself should be easily expandable to handle the flags and automatically adding the package with pacman.

whargoul · 2008-10-24 21:52:42

haxit wrote:

whargoul wrote:
Arch Linux needs to be more Ubuntu-ish.
Your kidding, right?
I like arch just the way it is.

Arch is great and the quality have just improved over the years, so of course I'm kidding.

... Or am I?

Arch Linux

#1 2008-10-24 14:41:23

What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#2 2008-10-24 18:16:15

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#3 2008-10-24 18:27:20

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#4 2008-10-24 18:49:15

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#5 2008-10-24 19:14:01

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#6 2008-10-24 19:18:34

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#7 2008-10-24 19:22:50

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#8 2008-10-24 20:12:52

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#9 2008-10-24 20:33:39

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#10 2008-10-24 20:35:26

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#11 2008-10-24 20:35:34

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#12 2008-10-24 20:38:09

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#13 2008-10-24 20:46:53

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#14 2008-10-24 20:51:57

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#15 2008-10-24 21:04:56

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#16 2008-10-24 21:08:17

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#17 2008-10-24 21:08:48

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#18 2008-10-24 21:15:33

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#19 2008-10-24 21:22:14

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#20 2008-10-24 21:30:23

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#21 2008-10-24 21:47:05

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

#22 2008-10-24 21:52:42

Re: What do you change or getting better in Arch?

Board footer