RFC: Restructuring GNOME meta-ports

[Joe Marcus Clarke]

On Mon, 2004-01-05 at 20:50, Adam Weinberger wrote:
> >> (01.05.2004 @ 1843 PST): Joe Marcus Clarke said, in 1.9K: <<
> > I was thinking maybe we should borrow something from garnome seeing as
> > since they've borrowed practically everything from us already ;-) (the
> > ports system, that is).  What if we restructured the GNOME meta-ports to
> > look something like this:
> > 
> > x11/gnome2 (leave it the way it is)
> > x11/gnome2-lite (leave it the way it is)
> 
> I would rather see an x11/gnome2-desktop port, and have x11/gnome2 be a
> metaport for the Whole Damn Thing. Or, well... I think there should be a
> meta meta port.

This isn't very doable with the way the ports tree works now.  How would
you create a dependency chain?  Would you force the lower meta-ports to
install .keep_me files or the like?  Personally, I think meta-ports of
meta-ports are icky.

> 
> Also, I think that gnome2-lite could also perhaps be made to be a meta
> meta port.
> 
> > x11/gnome2-fifth-toe (Will consist of the following):
> >  graphics/gthumb2 news/pan2 net/gnomeicu2
> >  x11-toolkits/gnome-themes-extras sysutils/gkrellm
> >  graphics/gimp-devel www/bluefish-devel
> >  net/tsclient graphics/sodipodi
> >  security/seahorse ftp/gftp net/gossip
> >  audio/rhythmbox net/straw
> >  multimedia/totem mail/balsa2
> >  irc/xchat2 net/gaim www/galeon2
> >  audio/jamboree
> 
> is this list adhering to GNOME's specifications? cuz if not, I'm going
> to put some suggestions below.

Not anymore.  This is a little more open.  Again, I'm using garnome as a
jumping off point.  It seems to me, the default Fifth Toe has become
bloated, and more or less useless for the majority of users.

> 
> > x11/gnome2-power-tools (New meta-port consisting of the following):
> >  devel/gnomevfs-extras sysutils/gnome-pkgview
> >  misc/quick-lounge-applet x11/gswitchit
> >  editors/dasher net/netspeed_applet
> >  editors/gedit-plugins deskutils/gdesklets
> >  net/gnomenetwork net/gnomenetstatus
> 
> what about epiphany-extensions?

Good idea!

> 
> > devel/gnome2-hacker-tools (New meta-port consisting of the following):
> >  editors/mlview devel/gnomecommon devel/glade2
> >  editors/ghex2 devel/regexxer editors/conglomerate
> >  devel/anjuta-devel texproc/meld
> 
> i do not like the names power-tools and hacker-tools. they are only
> descriptive to certain groups of people.

What's in a name?  We can always make the pkg-descr for informative.

> 
> > deskutils/gnome2-office (New meta port consisting of the following):
> >  math/gnumeric2 deskutils/mrproject [planner] graphics/dia
> >  deskutils/glabels mail/evolution editors/AbiWord2
> > 
> > Thoughts?
> 
> I'd like to consider some different organizations.
> 
> I'd like to see stuff broken down in ways similar to how the ports tree
> does it. I think that all mail and news apps, for example, should be
> kept together, and should be under a productivity heading that includes
> the components listed above for gnome2-office, as well as things like
> gimp and maybe bluefish.

I disagree with you somewhat.  I don't want to simply mirror the
existing ports tree while giving it a GNOME flavor.  Rather, I'd like to
organize things into large bundles that offer [mostly] novice users a
way of seeing what apps are "blessed" to work well with GNOME and
fulfill a certain purpose.  I do like the term, "Productivity," though.

> 
> I'd like to see an "extensions" category that contains additions to
> other things. Things like applets, -extras, -extensions,
> gnome-theme-extras, etc.

Too vague, I think.  I like the idea of adding epiphany-extensions to
the broader power-tools (or whatever) category.  I also think we should
steer away from making tons of small meta-ports.  We don't want to
overwhelm our users.  Not to beat a dead horse, but garnome uses these
five meta-ports, and I think a low number like that is a good thing.

> 
> gnome2-h4x0r-t00lz i like though. still not thrilled with the name
> though.

We can certainly try to come up with a better name.  And don't forget,
we still have the COMMENT and pkg-descr to help users out.

> 
> I'd like to see maybe an entertainment category. Totem, rhythmbox,
> xchat2, gossip, gnomeicu2, etc. Maybe a systemtools category that
> contains gftp, gnomenetwork, etc. Dunno where all of this leaves gkrellm
> and gdesklets, but I think that they should be in the same category.
> Besides, gdesklets seems to be becoming more popular than gkrellm2,
> development of which seems to have slowed to a halt.

Cool.  Pav also suggested a games meta-port (e.g. gnome2-toys).  We
should also not think of our new meta-ports as being set in stone.  We
should allow for flexibility.  For example, as gdesklets matures, it
could move from power-tools (or whatever) to the fifth-toe, etc.

Joe

> 
> # Adam
> 
> 
> --
> Adam Weinberger
> vectors.cx	>>  adam at vectors.cx	>>  http://www.vectors.cx
> magnesium.net	<<  adamw at magnesium.net	<<  http://www.magnesium.net/~adamw
> FreeBSD		>>  adamw at FreeBSD.org	>>  http://people.freebsd.org/~adamw
> #vim:set ts=8: 8-char tabs prevent tooth decay.
-- 
Joe Marcus Clarke
FreeBSD GNOME Team	::	gnome at FreeBSD.org
FreeNode / #freebsd-gnome
http://www.FreeBSD.org/gnome
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