I have a question about the RPMs:
It seems like there are several ways we can install OpenACS.
Currently we have tarballs and CVS. Now we're adding in RPMs.
In some ways it seems like RPMs are the best way we should
be doing things, because it makes it so easy for newcomers to
get started.
However, how do RPMs act when you've modified portions of the
source code yourself? When someone installs the RPM for
OACS 4.5, makes all sorts of modifications, and then tries to
install OACS 4.6, is all their work going to be lost? Or are they
going to lose the changes in the files that are modified?
It seems like in the past that RPMs were kind of the "underdog"
way of installing OACS. If someone had a problem and they had
an RPM install, people would respond that really they should just
install from the tarball or CVS. But maybe my memory is
deceiving me. If this is the case, then we should be really clear
with people that RPMs are just a quick way for people to check
out OACS, and that to do any REAL work, you need to install it all
manually.
Perhaps the RPM should have a core part and a part that is fed
by CVS? I don't know that much about packaging up RPMs, so
I'm not sure what the exact nature of the problem is, much less
the solution. Any comments?
