Update server for non-updates?
Andrew C. Greenberg
werdna at mucow.com
Thu Aug 24 02:29:30 UTC 2000
At 9:20 PM -0400 8/23/00, aaron wrote:
> > Smalltalk started out as a single-implementation language; there were
>> ports, but there were ports of the Xerox image.
>> [more stuff about the technical difficulties in doing a CPAN
>workalike]
>
>I was thinking about only doing it for Squeak. Writing a unifying
>framework
>for all/most/many Smalltalk dialects would definately be a huge project.
>Even different versions of Squeak aren't necesarily automatically
>compatible, and I realize that, but it would be nice to have a central
>repository for cool Squeak stuff that could be accessible through a
>ChangeSet browser, or just a line of code (Span getPackage: 'BlueLook'
>for: 'Squeak-2.8').
Another Squeaker recently proposed the notion of taking source codes
off-image, and providing access by some other means, perhaps cvs, yet
accessible from within Squeak itself. This notion suggested to me
the idea of promoting a "ports tree" akin to that in BSD-derivative
distributions, where a tree of categories is presented, such as
"network," "graphics," and the like, with a list of ports and
descriptions contained therein. When you want to obtain a port and
load it into your image, the "tree" would automatically load all
prerequisite ports, and fileIn and do all other things necessary to
implement the "port."
A facility would also exist to "clean up" the image afterwards so far
as possible, if the port were no longer required.
It isn't necessarily a horribly monumental idea if you distribute the
effort, first by building the "ports tree" edifice and toolit, and
then facilitate the building and submission of ports and similar
tools by others.
In time, the tools can leverage effectively one on the other, making
a relatively small image object capable of offering ready and easy
access to an entire world of Smalltalk applications -- this brings
more porters into the fray, and the network effect takes over.
--
Andrew C. Greenberg acg at netwolves.com
V.P. Eng., R&D, 813.885.2779 (office)
NetWolves Corporation 813.885.2380 (facsimile)
www.netwolves.com
Please use werdna at mucow.com instead of werdna at gate.net
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