I started creating RPMs for the software I use not because I don't know how to install from source, but because it's tedious and boring to install the same source code again and again, having to remember all the little modifications you made, write an X-page document so others can repeat the work, which never actually gets written or is never up to date, and no one reads anyway... 😊
Plus, you can create kick-start files so that bringing up a server complete with all software needed takes no more effort than a couple of clicks, and you're garanteed that nothing will be forgotten.
Plus, you have an easy way of checking the integrity of the installed software, packages that need updated etc.
The toolkit itself is hard to package because it's a set of source code which one is expected to modify, and the only sane way to upgrade that is with a source code control system, i.e. CVS. RPM, DEB and APM just can't handle it.
That's why I think there should be two OACS packages: oacs-sneak-peek and oacs-toolkit.
The sneak peek can be made immutable, enabling packaging, and could be additionaly modified to for example make all users site wide admins, pre-mount a bunch of packages etc.
The oacs-toolkit would be a collection of scripts that encapsulates the typical working method of a professional ACS developer using CVS. What's that Linus quote I see in sigs? "I will replace you with a small shell script"
