CurlyTheStooge said:
I don't think dependency management is such a simple phenomenon which can be added as an 'optional' package in Slackware tree. Its obviously an overhead on the package maintainers too. I certainly find Slackbuild's approach rather better in this regard.
Regards.
What I meant is that very basic package resolution could be achieved. Not every satisfaction would be had with basic resolution. But, enough to prove useful to the non-elite.
No, you are quite right. And, with a team of one, Patrick doesn't need an excuse not to bother with package resolution. I always preferred Slackyd. But, even if a user matrix was available, it could be taken and implemented in slackyd. Thus extending the third party repository, with the original Slackware packages. Then one could install the Slackware base and build up, without having embraced the experience required to do so. I admit that a user of any system would be better knowing what depends on what. It is just one more step in the right direction. But, not everyone is ready for that step. And, maybe they shouldn't use Slackware. But, such a beautiful linux among the waste land of bloated distributions seems to good, for only the Slack elite.
If I wasn't using FreeBSD, I would be building a personal distribution with Slackware as a base.
I also agree that source based package management is far lighter on maintainers. I fear that FreeBSD will adopt to that thinking more and more. Which would give more resources to the systems actual development.
I myself like having the ability to collect a current enough state of a repository, for local net-less functionality. It isn't considered widely important to most anymore. But, in some areas you still have internet access with bandwidth restrictions. Or, in the case of satellite you can be without access for long periods of time, or spotty unreliable segments of time. In cases like this, is nice to have local repository access. Distfile collections are not so nice for this sort of situation. They have multiple version of many programs grouped together with no easy way to collect only the selection of the distfiles you require. I could go on and on about the problems involved in trying to acquire a full repository of sources. Slackbuild not having its own distfile collection would make this an even more daunting task. But, Slackbuild uses direct developer sources for the benefit of itself and its users.
With that said, the Slackbuild option is still a good one for many. I would not down play its value at all. I would just hate to get stuck with Debian or something. They do provide a full repository (free software only) on disk still. I guess Frugalware isn't that bad, as another alternative.
I am just too picky. Really too picky when you consider the software is free.
You can't please every user.
Good point though, CurlyTheStooge.
