Re: [Info-stow] *SUSE (was: texi2any vs texi2html)

[Jean Louis]

Hello Adam,

I understand what you mean, and more than GNU Stow I do not need. I
have been using for years package managers, first rpm, later dpkg,
apt-get and now only GNU Stow. It helps me make clear distinction
between versions of software, and I do not need to think much of which
file belongs to which package, now I can be very sure of it.

My GNU system is built completely from sources. I would not like
having a package manager on this side, it would break the
system. When you are remote in some areas without Internet, there is
no access to Internet like in Western countries. So the packages are
on the local storages. Using GNU Stow makes everything easy.

I may also think of making a customized, program based operating
system compilation, so that people may choose what programs to have in
the full system, and that it compiles itself.

On Mon, Nov 21, 2016 at 10:42:22AM +0000, Adam Spiers wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 21, 2016 at 11:01:04AM +0300, Jean Louis wrote:
> > Oh, Adam, I was thinking SuSE has a package manager
> 
> Yes, it uses rpm.
> 
> > and type of
> > customers who would try anything to avoid messing with GNU Stow.
> 
> Stow is a symlink farm manager, not a package manager.  I realise that
> in the past it was described as a package manager, but these days
> package managers have evolved so far beyond simple management of files
> in a package (tracking dependencies, checksums, and lots of other
> metadata) that Stow no longer fits that description.

The info page says "program for managing the installation of software
packages" -- I would avoid "farm manager" as the definition of what
you know and I know, is not in the Wordnet dictionary. Maybe in some
other. People may mistake it for cultivation of vegetables.
> 
> There is no way that Stow could ever replace rpm, nor would it make
> sense to try.  Stow has very different use cases which are
> complementary to rpm, for example managing dotfiles and other software
> within users' home directories.

I am simply managing /usr with it, and various versions of software.

I have fully understood how SUSE changed its name or trademark. Thank
you.

Wish to see the new version of GNU Stow.

Jean Louis