Arch Linux

henkidefix

Member

From: Netherlands

Registered: 2009-01-11

Posts: 38

Pacsurfer, a dependency helper tool

Hello Archers,
Just ceated a GUI program to learn more about packages and their dependencies.

More information here:
"http://members.upc.nl/h.speksnijder4/so … urfer.html"

Useful before you install a program to check the total installation size,
including the dependencies. And evaluate if you really want all that
bloatware or look further for something lean and mean.
Or when you notice a program on your system and want to understand
why it is there.

<img src="http://members.upc.nl/h.speksnijder4/software/pacsurfer/pacsurfer-4_thumb"/>

Hope others also find it useful.

(sotty, always forget how to post doclincks and thumnails)

Last edited by henkidefix (2012-02-26 17:38:32)

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Pacsurfer, a dependency helper tool

Looks nice :-)
See https://bbs.archlinux.org/help.php#bbcode on how to post thumbnails etc.

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Pacsurfer, a dependency helper tool

A couple questions / suggestions:
* Is it possible to get package size  in KB, MB, GB? I see the totals are converted to e.g. MB.
* Actually, I get 'Installed Size 150 Mb' and 'instal 5 packages, total 4 Mb' - Mb means mega bit, it should read MB i.e. mega byte.
* Decide whether you want to use capital letters or not, examples abound e.g. Req v. opt.
* Typos e.g. 'instal' and 'pakages'.
* Some packages don't get their size printed (the ones that are installed get '0' while the ones that are not installed get a blank) - is this one of the bugs you mention? Can I somehow help tracking it down?

Is this output necessary:

[karol@black ~]$ ./pacsurfer_i686
provider: linux-api-headers
provider: libdrm
provider: libxxf86vm
provider: libxdamage
provider: expat
provider: libx11
provider: libxt
provider: gcc-libs
provider: 
provider: 
provider: 
provider: 
provider: smbclient
provider: 
provider: 
provider: libdrm
provider: libxxf86vm
provider: libxdamage
provider: expat
provider: libx11
provider: libxt
provider: gcc-libs
provider: 
provider: 
provider: 
provider: 
Heap dump by heaptrc unit
45983 memory blocks allocated : 1549454/1665216
45981 memory blocks freed     : 1528434/1644192
2 unfreed memory blocks : 21020
True heap size : 557056
True free heap : 535872
Should be : 535904
Call trace for block $B6ED0F60 size 20800
  $0806726F
  $080670AC
  $08058802
  $080C58D9
  $0807950B
  $0807AB0E
  $08063752
  $080A9A06
Call trace for block $B6CF8BC0 size 220
  $080670A1
  $08058802
  $080C58D9
  $0807950B
  $0807AB0E
  $08063752
  $080A9A06

Is there a switch I can use to tell pacsurfer not to print this info to my terminal?

henkidefix

Member

From: Netherlands

Registered: 2009-01-11

Posts: 38

Re: Pacsurfer, a dependency helper tool

Karol, thanks for your excellent comment.
(sorry for the delay, been busy with work and family)

Now updated with your suggestions. The output to the terminal was for debugging only
and no longer useful & removed,  i had not yet checked those details because of a bigger issue.
you have also seen it: Some packages do not show size information.

What i do: assume Pkg = pointer to a package-information.

List:=alpm_pkg_get_depends(Pkg);   
    { returns a pointer to the begin of a list of dependencies }
Data:=alpm_list_get_data(List);
    { returns a pointer to a struct }
depname:=alpm_dep_compute_string(Data);
    { returns a dependency package name }

Once i have depname there is extra work to get information but that works.

The problem is that depname sometimes contains additional information
about the version, like "mono>=2.10.5" or "libxdamage>=1.1"
Now i can create additional code to remove charater sequence ">=?.??.?"
but can't  libalm deal with this ?

information:
Pacsurfer

image thumb:

screencast:
Pacsufer Video

Last edited by henkidefix (2012-03-08 22:11:25)

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Pacsurfer, a dependency helper tool

Now i can create additional code to remove charater sequence ">=?.??.?"
but can't  libalm deal with this ?

If this is a libalpm feature request, you should post it on the pacman-dev mailing list - if you can include up a patch to implement it, that would be even better.

henkidefix

Member

From: Netherlands

Registered: 2009-01-11

Posts: 38

Re: Pacsurfer, a dependency helper tool

No, sorry i was unclear, it is not a feature request:

The question is:  do i understand and use libalpm right of have i missed something ?