[V3dot10] Re: loading scripts via package universes

[Keith Hodges]

Dear Lex

Firstly, I dont want to fork other peoples packages or the base image, I 
just want to patch them for my use, UNTIL they have included things or not.

You just dont seem to get it, I am not in a perfect world I want to make 
things workable UNTIL these other good things of which you speak happen. 
If you can do this visibly it provides the feedback to the community as 
to what needs to change.

Now in some cases what if the "fix" I need is refused by the package 
maintainer, what do I do. If I fork I end up managing their project 
also, I cant track their changes without a lot of effort. I am already 
doing this on about 15 packages, it is wearing me out, why do you think 
I am so frustrated. I saw a solution to this problem and I cant get 
it... without forking universes also, which I am not going to do!

At the moment Universes are poised to be useful in a perfect world,  and 
I have wasted 2 weeks on trying to get things working when:

1. the packages in the universes are not correct, and it is not open to 
change it (another issue)
2. the packages in the universe require user interaction / exception 
handling etc
3. It would be nice to state dependencies on fixes integrating already 
existing tools.

Well I have all but given up on trying to load the set of packages I 
wanted, I will just write a script to do the job, after all thats what 
Installer is for. Unfortunately this doesnt harness or feedback any 
knowledge into the universe for the communities benefit. Still it is 
hard work continually updating things.

If I ever get around to completing 'bob' (the builder), then it will be 
a complete make/rake equivalent and it will be able to do the same as 
universes but based entirely upon scripts managed in monticello, some of 
which will be undoable and some wont. As far as undo functionality is 
concerned, that is something for the changes mechanism and the package 
loaders to  help with I think.

Personally I dont see undo coming from package universes any time soon, 
its just not that easy. Monticello cant even upgrade a package which has 
method overrides from other packages without overwriting those overrides 
and destroying the integrity of the other packages. (MC1.5 ;-) can now I 
hope)

I am happier now, and less frustrated, that I have stopped fighting 
universes and have started to get some real work done.

This reminds me of Professor Heinz Wolf, (http://www.heinzwolff.co.uk/) 
spotted thumping a coffee machine and muttering in his broad german 
accent "If you vant somthing to verk you have to design it yourself!".

cheers

Keith