[PHPacman] Nice idea?

Spider.007 · 2004-08-29 21:20:53

I've just spend a few hours programming a PHP interface for pacman. It currently consists of a 'pacman' object which has generic wrapper functions around the system-pacman:

class pacman{
    var $pacmanExecutable;
    function pacman(){
    function getVersionBanner(){
    function getInstalledPackages(){
    function getInstalledPackageInfo($packagename){
    function getInstalledPackageFiles($packageName){
    function findInstalledPackagesByName($searchString){
    function findInstalledPackageByFile($searchString){
    function queryProgram(){
}

The program implements a logging-class which enables me to trace program execution, plus I am working on a custom error handler. Subgoals include maintaining valid W3C xHTML-strict and CSS. If anyone thinks this is interesting; I will continue development and work on the interface and stuff. I am thinking about implementing sync capabilities as well; but that will probably take some time.

To see a very basic debug version with a lousy userinterface: http://archlinux.spider007.net/PHPacman/

Please tell me what you think about this

i3839 · 2004-08-29 23:15:03

Very nice.

But not very useful I think. People for which that info is actually useful (e.g. people that can run those programs) should also have ssh access, and then such web front-end doesn't add much. It's probably slightly more useful in a bigger system configuration web front-end, and when you can (de-)install packages. But still, it's hard to beat ssh.

If it's useful for you then it's most likely also useful for others and it's worth finishing it.

afu · 2004-08-30 01:33:22

What would be really sweet is that a person could use your PHP interface to control Pacman for multiple computers. In otherwords, like RedHat network, you could log in to your PHP site and manage multiple computers running Arch.

Take it to that level and you will have a winner.
-Shawn

dp · 2004-08-30 02:12:29

i also played with php being a wrapper for pacman - but not to be usefull, but as a joke --- you invested time and it can be something usefull! xerces will be happy seeing your project :-)

rasat · 2004-08-30 04:31:47

afu wrote:

What would be really sweet is that a person could use your PHP interface to control Pacman for multiple computers.
Take it to that level and you will have a winner.

Earlier I was also thinking using PHP for making different tools but its more for Internet than local development. Example installing a local printer with cups interface (web) is odd. What afu said, take it to that Internet / LAN level, is something to go for.

As an idea / first version its good.

I have listed your project in Wiki:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Use … utionsPage

Spider.007 · 2004-08-30 08:52:41

Thanks for the comments

I hope the system will become 'more useful' once it has remote update capabilities. I think that the web front-end will be (more) useful if it allows you to update your system's package over the web. This does introduce some security problems however.

The idea of multiple systems is also very exciting. I think it is something which I should be able to implement pretty quick because of the object-oriented way this is setup. I will think about implementing this

dp wrote:

i also played with php being a wrapper for pacman - but not to be usefull, but as a joke --- you invested time and it can be something usefull! xerces will be happy seeing your project :-)

As for the layout; I will start working on a even more userfriendly interface soon, and I will see if I can create a nice logo for PHPacman too Thanks for the compliments tho

rasat wrote:

afu wrote:
What would be really sweet is that a person could use your PHP interface to control Pacman for multiple computers.
Take it to that level and you will have a winner.
Earlier I was also thinking using PHP for making different tools but its more for Internet than local development. Example installing a local printer with cups interface (web) is odd. What afu said, take it to that Internet / LAN level, is something to go for.
As an idea / first version its good.
I have listed your project in Wiki:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Use … utionsPage

I agree that PHPacman as a central interface for managing your Arch-Systems/pacman-packages would probably be the best way to go.

I will continue programming and I will update this thread when new features get implemented

tehdely · 2004-08-31 00:04:27

The idea of a PHP interface to a system's package manager gives me the shakes.

No, not the cool kind.

dpb · 2004-08-31 06:31:32

/me agrees with tehdely.

LavaPunk · 2004-08-31 15:41:11

I find this to be an interesting idea and unless this can be used to update many systems at once via the web I don't find it very useful (not yet).
But the security issues kind of scare me away...

i3839 · 2004-08-31 16:14:29

There's no security problem if it's a https site and proper authentication is done.

Spider.007 · 2004-09-01 12:12:12

tehdely wrote:

The idea of a PHP interface to a system's package manager gives me the shakes.
No, not the cool kind.

Because it is web-based; or because it is PHP?

netkrash · 2004-09-01 13:17:29

i agree that a webinterface is not very useful with one system, because of ssh.. but think about 40 systems where you have to run an update.. next year i'll have to do that.. i've over 40 systems installed with archlinux 0.6 they are running as video servers.. sometimes we need updates, it would be very very nice to handle that with one single interface..

I'm a skilled php programmer, i think a can help you to develop this.. of course if you want to.

i3839 · 2004-09-01 16:41:09

Pardon me, but if you have 40 systems then you should use machines with a central root system (almost diskless system), e.g. over nfs. That way all the configuration and intstallation just have to be done on one computer.

Still you can use ssh with some scripts to execute commands on all systems instead of one.

E.g. some script like:

runall.sh

#!/bin/sh
cmd=$*

$cmd &
exec ssh -f $nexthost '$cmd'

Where "nexthost" is different on each server, or can be calculated by incrementing its own IP (10.0.0.1 -> 10.0.0.2), or some other, more fancy way.

The point is that fixing your problem is independent of what interface you use, be it php, ssh or something else.

dp · 2004-09-01 18:54:07

for remote admining, you can also use clusterit
http://www.archlinux.org/packages.php?id=3369
but this is only a minor subject

phpacman is for sure a nice thingy :-)

Spider.007 · 2004-09-08 07:16:02

I've upgraded the production version. Please have a look and comment on the interface and usability. I will start on the connection to a remote system now; so this functionality will appear soon too The URL is ofcourse the same:

http://archlinux.spider007.net/PHPacman/

A friend of mine has created a nice logo for PHPacman too:

Lovechild · 2004-09-08 09:41:24

That's fairly nice...

Spider.007 · 2005-01-25 14:41:42

*kicks

I have figured out a fairly nice and secure way of connecting to a remote machine. I restarted programming on PHPacman; I hope to be able to post an update soon.

soniX · 2005-01-25 19:10:11

nice project.

oscar · 2005-02-04 20:20:08

This looks really promising!

Benedict_White · 2005-02-05 11:50:05

Just thought I would say well done. Looks very very good.

audaly · 2005-02-05 22:34:32

This project is a good idea! thx!

Arch Linux

#1 2004-08-29 21:20:53

[PHPacman] Nice idea?

#2 2004-08-29 23:15:03

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#3 2004-08-30 01:33:22

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#4 2004-08-30 02:12:29

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#5 2004-08-30 04:31:47

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#6 2004-08-30 08:52:41

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#7 2004-08-31 00:04:27

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#8 2004-08-31 06:31:32

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#9 2004-08-31 15:41:11

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#10 2004-08-31 16:14:29

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#11 2004-09-01 12:12:12

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#12 2004-09-01 13:17:29

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#13 2004-09-01 16:41:09

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#14 2004-09-01 18:54:07

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#15 2004-09-08 07:16:02

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#16 2004-09-08 09:41:24

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#17 2005-01-25 14:41:42

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#18 2005-01-25 19:10:11

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#19 2005-02-04 20:20:08

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#20 2005-02-05 11:50:05

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

#21 2005-02-05 22:34:32

Re: [PHPacman] Nice idea?

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