Software installation opinions needed

[Heiko Blume]

first off: it would be a VERY good idea to allow a shell escape in the
installation script, so one can look for something or create a directory
etc without having to start the whole thing again and without having to go
to another terminal.

another thing: when i want to install a package with sources i want 
completely seperate steps (i.e. scrips, makefiles) for config, compile and
install (i.e. copying to the config'ed places etc).

when i want to install a binary package i want seperate steps for copying the
stuff someplace from media, config (perhaps another step here for relinking
like with the kernel) and performing the config'ed actions.

karl at naitc.naitc.com (Karl Denninger) writes:

>In article <EMERY.90Sep19131715 at aries.linus.mitre.org> emery at linus.mitre.org (David Emery) writes:
>> I get VERY UPSET by 3rd party installations that must be done as 'root'.

>For commercial software (I publish a package under my own name, not AC
>Nielsen) there is a good reason to run as root.  Namely, you have to do a
>LOT of things as root to get the package installed.

perhaps for a *part* of the installation (see above) !

>For example, our package requires:

>o)	Installation of two user id's in /etc/passwd under some
>	circumstances (ie: if you select one of the options).

not too good if the platform doesn't allow you to create a user that
way, eh?! (i.e. if you have to use some program for that when the *real*
data is in a dbm file etc pepe). i'd prefer to mess up my password (database)
myself, so *i* will get the credit for doing it :-)

>o)	Installation of a group in /etc/group if it's not already there.

do you expect that it's impossible someone choose the group name 
for something else, preferably to limit the access to some sensitive
stuff? may i choose the group name myself?

>o)	Creation of a parameter file in /etc (so the rest of the package
>	can "find itself" when it runs).

yet another file in /etc ? it's already cluttered with so many files...

>Why?  Because I'll give you one guess at how many people will forget to run
>the second script (to do the "root required" things) and then call tech
>support asking why the product doesn't work.

i think it wouldn't be too difficult to put a check in the program
that tells the user "you forgot to configure me with the bla prgm".

sure, some programs need root privs to configure them, but these steps
should be seperated. that way a non-priviledged user can also do
the more time consming work, while the admin with the necessary privs
can do the more dangerous stuff.
-- 
Heiko Blume c/o Diakite   blume at scuzzy.in-berlin.de   FAX   (+49 30) 882 50 65
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