Arch Linux

tadzik

Member

From: &tadzik

Registered: 2009-07-17

Posts: 91

Arch Linux policy about AUR

Hello,
I've been using Arch for a while now, and I still see some inconsistency about AUR case. As the Arch Wiki says:

in the AUR, the users contribute their own packages. The AUR community votes for or against them, and once a package has been voted high enough, a AUR Trusted User takes it to the [community] repository

Sounds easy. But when you take a look at the list of packages ordered by number of votes, you start wondering: Why are the top ones still unsupported? Is there no one to maintain it? Are they not grown-up enough?

I'm not trying to be offensive, I'm just curious about it. What is the real role of [community] then? What makes the package important enough?

Regards,
Ted

Last edited by tadzik (2009-07-24 13:31:36)

gnud

Member

Registered: 2005-11-27

Posts: 184

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Yaourt is not supported because it automates installation of other unsupported software. So in that case, popularity has nothing to do with anything.

Virtualbox_bin is not the open source version, it's the "free for personal use" version.

Similar stories for many of the packages on that list. Also note that your list includes packages in [community].

tadzik

Member

From: &tadzik

Registered: 2009-07-17

Posts: 91

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

How possibly non-free applications could be the barrier, if e.g. flashplugin is living happy life in [extra]?
I know that some of them are included in community but it's definitely not the majority

Pierre

Developer

From: Bonn

Registered: 2004-07-05

Posts: 1,967

Website

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

We are allowed to redistribute flashplayer; this is not the case for virtualbox etc.. So its not about free or nonfree but if the license allows redistribution in binary form.

Last edited by Pierre (2009-07-24 14:00:15)

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tadzik

Member

From: &tadzik

Registered: 2009-07-17

Posts: 91

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Alright, I understand the licensing stuff. But explain me one more thing. gnud said that yaourt is not to be included, for it helps to install unsupported packages. But isn't [community] just a place for packages that users really want? Moreover, the official repo is rather poor, and I don't think anyone would be able not to use AUR at all (btw, what on earth is rails doing in unsupported?). I'm not yaourt user personally, but looks like lots and lots of people can't live without it. Then what's the meaning of community again? Is that sort of users' repo, or is it trying to protect users from reaching the aur stuff?

Allan

Pacman

From: Brisbane, AU

Registered: 2007-06-09

Posts: 11,672

Website

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Software that installs packages from the AUR will never be supported.  This has been a rule since forever.

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tadzik

Member

From: &tadzik

Registered: 2009-07-17

Posts: 91

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Shame that it isn't mentioned in AUR wiki page. But now I understand, thanks for replies.
Regards

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,362

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Just to add on a bit, I think the concern is AUTOMATIC installation from the AUR. Community is maintained by Trusted Users, which means that they have a personal hand in every binary you install. AUR can be submitted to by ANYONE. I could submit a package named 'uber-leetness' which takes over your install and spams everyone in your mailbox and IM list. The only protection against AUR packages is yourself reading through the PKGBUILDs and comments, and automatic tools would short-circuit that necessity.

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Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
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tadzik

Member

From: &tadzik

Registered: 2009-07-17

Posts: 91

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

ngoone, you are talking about different thing. About limited trust. Everyone who installs packages from aur without reading through PKGBUILDs, install files and pathes is oficially insane. That's what community is for. For moving trusted and appreciated packages from aur to some normal repo.
Imho. And looks like my only.

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,362

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Yes, I agree about the insanity. But promoting, for example, yaourt and other AUR managers which automate the process to community would OFFICIALLY allow users to install it without any modicum of understanding. A simple pacman -S yaourt.

And the second half of your paragraph is just about correct. Its not so much about trusted/appreciated as something which the TUs themselves are willing to maintain. The TUs are trusted, not the packages. The TUs will review the PKGBUILDs, so when we install from community we're trusting that they're doing a good job and honorable in not messing up our systems.

Well, unless you want to be paranoid and compile EVERYTHING from ABS. Gentoo calls....

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Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

djszapi

Member

From: Cambridge, United Kingdom

Registered: 2009-06-14

Posts: 1,439

Website

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Yeah, AUR is not supported. Well, first of all it's very very buggy, secondly if you take a bug report, he didn't answer after more monthes (

Maybe aurbuild will be supported in the future, but it's just a tip.

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droog

Member

Registered: 2004-11-18

Posts: 877

Re: Arch Linux policy about AUR

Shame that it isn't mentioned in AUR wiki page. But now I understand, thanks for replies.
Regards

If you feel jipped somehow feel free to add it to the AUR wiki page...