Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[tlchost]

There is a new online database for Puppy pet and sfs files, and another one is in development for derivatives.

The database is user maintained, has minimal eye candy, and can be searched on any field.

The goal of the database is to provide a location where information about pets and sfs files can be easily found and accessed.

None of the files are stored on the site, but links to the files and appropriate discussion areas are maintained.

The database structure is as follows:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ID:
Name:
Date:
ITEM_Name:
ITEM_Type:
Desktop
Utility
Document
Network
Fun
System
File_System
Calculate
Internet
Drivers
Setup
Graphics
Personal
MultiMedia
Windows_Manager
INFO_URL:
DOWNLOAD_URL:
Purpose:
Notes:
Comments:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sample Entry
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ID: 1
Name: tlchost
Date: 21-May-2009
ITEM_Name: growler-amp_412.sfs
ITEM_Type: Internet
INFO_URL: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=40483&search_id=50260657&start=21
DOWNLOAD_URL: http://minipc.org/lamp/growler-amp_412.sfs
Purpose: LAMPP(Apache,phpMyAdmin,MySql) for puppy
Notes: For web development, virtual hosts may not work correctly on bootable USB drive.
Comments:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you know of, or have developed a pet or sfs that you feed should be included in the database, or simply want to view it, please visit
[url]puppylinux.us[/url]

I am in the process of finalizing the structure for a database to handle derivatives. At this point the I'm thinking of
---------------------------------------------------------
ID:
Name:
Date:
ITEM_Name:
PUPPY_BASE:
Kernel:
INFO_URL:
DOWNLOAD_URL:
Purpose:
Notes:
Comments:
--------------------------------------------------------

Comments and suggestions are requested and voluteers who can assist in information checking and/or editing are welcome.

Thom

[Lobster]

[tlchost]

[BarryK]

Hi, it's ok to have your own database, but you should get it to generate a database-file in the format now used for Woof-builds, and which will be the standard for future puppies.

http://puppylinux.com/woof/index.html
http://puppylinux.com/woof/ppm.htm
http://puppylinux.com/woof/pkg-db-format.htm

A script on your site could generate that database file, and then the Puppy Package Manager can read it and offer the packages for installation.

Note that all pet packages built by recent alpha puppies using the 'dir2pet' utility have a 'pet.specs' file in them which is the database entry for that package.

[tlchost]

[BarryK]

Your suggested database entries, description, puppy-base, etc., already cover what would be in the standard puppy data base format.
It would just be a matter of reading that information, plus the subdirectory where the package is located and name of package, and generating a database file that the PPM can read.

Not hard at all.

The only thing extra is the dependencies. This is something that is overlooked by the various PET repos, but is most important. The user can be asked to enter a list of other pet pkgs that are dependencies, if they aren't already builtin to Puppy -- the format in which that list is entered would be up to you, it could just be a comma-separated list.
-- the only difference in my standard database entries is that each dependency is prefixed with a '+' or a '-' -- again, a script can easily insert that.

In other words, it does not require a "future database project", just a script that can read your database and generate the standard puppy database file. It would be a single file, and all I would need to know is the URL of the file and I can point the PPM to it.

Of course, if you are not into Bash scripting, then you would need help to do it.

[tlchost]

[gposil]

tlchost,

as long as we put a PACKAGES.txt file with the database entries as follows:

pkgname|nameonly|version|pkgrelease|category|size|path|fullfilename|dependencies|description|

we will be right

[tlchost]

[russoodle]

[BarryK]

The kernel, yes, I was thinking of adding that to my database, as field-14.

There are currently three optional fields on the end,

compiled-distro|distro-release|repo-name|

For example:
ubuntu|jaunty|official|
...means that the package was compiled in Ubuntu Jaunty (or our equivalent Upup) and is hosted on the 'official' repo at ibiblio.org.
Any of those fields are optional, and probably in most cases the 'repo-name' could be left out.

Anyway, I might support this:

ubuntu|jaunty||2.6.29.6|

That is, the kernel it is compiled for as field-14. The line must always have a trailing '|'.

But, I was thinking of supporting a notation like this
+=2.6.29.6
==2.6.29.6
-=2.6.29.6
Using the '+' instead of '>' and '-' instead of '<' as we use gtkdialog which has xml files and need to avoid '>' and '<' characters (I have code that filters them out).

The meaning would be that '+=' the package is designed for that kernel version or greater, '==' the package must be used with that kernel only, '-=' the package must be used with that kernel or less.
No prefix, just '|2.6.29.6|' would be just informational, stating what kernel was used.

I will probably be extending the dependencies field to support package versions, with these '+=', '==' and '-=' prefixes.

No problem if your database has the normal '>=' or '>=' or '>' or '<' as I can translate it.

Note, if a PET package is compiled for the Puppy 4.x series, those extra fields should be at least:

|puppy|4|||

...recommended to have that information, aids the PPM to filter out inappropriate packages.

[BarryK]

In other words:

pkgname|nameonly|version||category|size|path|fullfilename|dependencies|description|puppy|4||

...extra info on the end to show this package is compiled for Puppy 4.x.

Of course, an architecture-independent package, one that only has scripts, may work on any puppy, Upup, Dpup, Ppup, Tpup, etc., so leave those last fields off or just empty:

pkgname|nameonly|version||category|size|path|fullfilename|dependencies|description||||

[BarryK]

I am also discussing this in my blog:

http://puppylinux.com/blog/?viewDetailed=00931

[tlchost]

[tlchost]