KDE-Forum.org

I have an idea that I need feedback on. First let me say that I am a very beginner developer and could never tackle something like this. But, the idea is a good one (I think) and I wanted feedback on whether or not it would work. Maybe I could get a team of developers together to work on it. Flood me with emails (sleepkreep@gmail.com) and replies to this post.

My idea is to make a more user friendly way of installing KDE applications. It also makes installing them distro independent. Although by compiling from source is the best way to install software, this with the proper setup is just as effective. It also allows users to install software without root password (with administrator permission). Unlike the current .rpm way of installing (which requires the software be compiled for a specific distro), where the binaries are put are detemined by the installer. This makes it also possible to create packages for updating KDE without compiling from source and without distro specific RPMs. It may take a while for developers to start to use this system, but if it is put in place it will be used widely. This system will not work unless KDE integrates it.

Format: .krpm
1) Administrator Chooses to allow users to install software to their home directory

2) User installing software is presented with option to install system wide or to home directory. System wide requires root password and has the option to install src files.

3) krpm packages contain following directories:

SCPT-> #contains shell script that reports back to the installer what files are to be installed or any errors. For use when certain files should be installed instead of others based on system configuration and other software availability.
$script
BIN-> #contains binary files to be installed to ~/bin directory or kde system bin directory
$file
$file
LIB-> #contains library files to be installed in .kde/share/lib/ or kde system lib directory
$file
$file
SHARE-> #contains configuration files for KDE. To be installed in ~/.kde/share/packages/share or KDE system share directory.
MAN-> #contains man pages to be installed to ~/.kde/share/man. This requires that the installer make sure that this directory is part of the MANPATH environment variable.
SRC-> #contains include files for development. For use with system wide installation only (requires root password)
$file
$file

4) Software manager has Administrator mode where admin can view all installed krpm packages in all user's home directories. Every time a package is installed, regardless whether it is installed in user home directory or system wide, the installer reports the installation to a file in the kde system directory. Every time a package is uninstalled, the installer report that as well.

5) The software installation program can search a file containing a list of all available software on kde-apps.org for software meeting user's search criteria. The installer program can also be configured to search other software-list-files on other servers. When a package is selected, the installer downloads it and installs it. This could automatically solve dependency problems as well.

6) Some packages will require root privelages regardless of whether the user wants to install in their home directory. These packages will be modifications to konqueror and and other system wide apps. These packages should not be listed in the installer program as available unless the installer is in Admin Mode.

You know, I just found out about autopackage yesterday and was coming here to close this thread. Are there any plans of integrating autopackage with KDE? I know it's not ready, but it never will be unless we set a new standard.