Re: SEUL: Common SEUL/e-linux tools needed

["Erik Walthinsen (Omega)" <omega@sequent.com>]

Reply-to: omega@seul.org

On Wed, 7 Jan 1998, Loren S Osborn wrote:

> 	Linux Emulator:
> 		will emulate a virtual linux system, allowing
> 		a safe environment to test-install packages that
> 		must install and run as root... It may be nice to have
> 		a version for each hardware platform...
> 		This will run as batch, so speed isn't a concern!

Actually, a full chroot'd environment works perfectly for this.  I have
built several complete, booted-the-first-time systems on alternate
partitions using this method.  Simply do alternate-root rpm installs of
the first few required packages, chroot to it with an NFS mount handy
inside the root, and install away.

Baring poorly behaved applications, this is a very secure, safe
rubber-room environment to do just about anything you want.  IMHO, RedHat
should be using it for RPM builds.  If found out last night that the perl
5.004_01 rpm in the biltmore updates was set up with a BuildRoot of
/var/tmp/perl_root.  How do I know this?  None of the CPAN modules would
work, as Config.pm still pointed to /var/tmp/perl_root.  Major oversight,
which I will be mentioning to RedHat tonight.

Anyway, it would be good to share resources and ideas with e-Linux.  It
seems we have similar lower-level needs.  It'd be stupid to *not*
cooperate.

     Erik Walthinsen <omega@seul.org> - SEUL Project system architect
        __
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