DebForMeeGo

2010-04-06T18:24:30Z

71.46.49.251: /* Why Switch MeeGo To DEB (switching Moblin to DEB) */

This page collects all arguments for and against keeping the *.deb package format in MeeGo.

If you want to voice your opinion on this Idea, you can [http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/keep_deb_for_meego/ vote at Brainstorm].

== Scope ==
The aim is at least to keep the *.deb package format in the MeeGo distributions aiming at Nokia Phones/ Handhelds.
Although using the .deb format throughout the MeeGo project is desireable, not all arguments here apply to the same extent looking at the whole project.

== Why Switch MeeGo To DEB (switching Moblin to DEB) ==
* No porting for Maemo packages needed
* Maemo has the bigger community [1]
* allows syncing from Debian/ Ubuntu
* DEB has wider adoptation than RPM [2]
* not to throw away experience gained with maemo which is reflected in the packaging
* better package management and error correction with DEB tools. (dpkg, apt-get, aptitude, deborphan, debsums, the base DEB framework including pre/post scripts, conflict resolution, dependency management and such)

[1] amount of third party applications [http://garage.moblin.org/ here] and [http://maemo.org/downloads/Maemo5/ here]. Also note that a Maemo5 port often involves UI changes, which make it more work.

[2] comparing numbers from [http://distrowatch.com/ distrowatch] (Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/etc + Debian against OpenSUSE + Fedora + RedHat + Mandriva)

== Why Keep MeeGo As RPM (switching Maemo to RPM) ==
* No porting for Moblin packages needed
* Moblin build infrastructure has more capabilities already in place, such as imaging.

== Common Advantages of DEB and RPM ==
* Tools for verifying (e.g. lintian and rpmlink) are available and can be used to check for a package quality.
* both RPM and DEB are LSB compilant as ''technically there is no dictated package format, only that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Standard_Base#Choice_of_RPM_package_format RPM must be supported when installing]''

== Alternative Solution ==
* Keep a Debian base system, and provide third-party applications in an LSB package formet (which is RPM inside). LSB-compliant RPM should install flawlessly, and that way the frontier between system packages (DEB) and third-party applications (RPM) is well defined.
* Add the imaging feature to the Deb package.
* The [[Maemo on Debian]] project does not try to convince the official MeeGo to use some upstream but instead works on a distribution which integrates existing Maemo5 and future MeeGo components into a standard Debian distribution.

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DebForMeeGo