[ANNOUNCE] Upcoming BuildSystem Project

Intro and Background:

    This is my first posting here, and someone suggested that perhaps I
send out an email regarding the current project I'm working on. I
started initially on this sort of thing in developing for the OpenZaurus
project (http://www.openzaurus.org/). I decided I wanted the OpenZaurus
distribution to be built solely from source, rather than simply hacked
together. So I proceeded to take the buildsystem used in the TuxScreen
and uClibc projects and rewrote just about all of it to be modular and
far easier to add functions to. Eventually, 'make openzaurus' got to
the point where it actually builds a jffs2 rootfs containing every item
built from source. I've now decided that version 2 needs to occur, and
I felt that version 2 of the system will likely be similiar to what
Familiar and other projects may be needing for their buildsystem,

Current Plan:

    After a fair amount of careful thought, and attempts to move
BuildSystem 1 to use 'method' scripts similar to apt's, I have decided
to follow what most people are thinking, and use the debian source
package format as a base. I have pulled down the source to all the
applicable packages (dpkg, ipkg from cvs, dpkg-cross, apt,
wanna-build). I am currently working on altering most of the dpkg build
scripts to work in a modular fashion, calling a method script for
package output, thereby making it easy to ensure the scripts work with
deb or ipkg or any other output means. I also plan to alter this system
to use a slightly extended .dsc format, primarily to allow storing the
.orig.tar.gz and .diff.gz on servers other than the source package
feed.. (ex. entry in .dsc refers to a ftp or http url to files...and the
like). Of course I will ensure existing .dsc's still work. Once I have
buildpackage and the other appropriate scripts crosscompiling and
outputting ipks from debian sources, I will start work on altering the
wanna-build and buildd debian system to also be more modular and
extensible, thereby ensuring it will work with this new system. The
goal is of course, that with the correct source package feeds, this
system could build debian from source, familiar from source, or what
have you.

Conclusion:

    So to wrap up, I'm using my method scripts from the previous system
and adding debian source package support and ipk output support.
Opinions? I sent this out both as a status update to those out there
who are interested, and also to get opinions on this upcoming system.

Applicable links:
    http://www.openzaurus.org/
    http://sourceforge.net/projects/openzaurus/
    CVSROOT:
:d:psever:anonymous@cvs.openzaurus.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/openzaurus
    cvs module: buildroot-oz
    NOTE: the system in cvs is version one, and is far from where I
wanted it to be even prior to the v2 change.
    I'm available in #zaurus, #familiar, #handhelds, #opie on OPN
(irc.openprojects.net)

Thanks a lot,

Chris Larson, RHCE, LPIC-1, LCP - aka Kergoth
kergoth at digitalnemesis dot net
Received on Tue Feb 19 13:30:43 2002