DebForMeeGo

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 vote at Brainstorm.

Contents

[edit] 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 desirable, not all arguments here apply to the same extent looking at the whole project.

[edit] 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 here and here. Also note that a Maemo5 port often involves UI changes, which make it more work.

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

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 RPM must be supported when installing

[edit] 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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