hi all - 

I'd like to announce an early alpha version of a dependency-resolution
system for squeak packages. It has now reached the stage where it
passes tests for multiple dependencies, conflicting dependencies,
circular dependencies and dependencies limited to a particular
distribution/universe. I have also succesfully loaded packages into a
fresh Squeak, with prerequisites automatically taken care of.

To see it in action, load Kabungu from SqueakMap in Squeak 3.7 or 3.8.
For best results, also load Monticello. Then:

   1. install SmallBlog

      by opening the 'SqueakMap Package Loader' and choosing 'install'
      in the menu for SmallBlog (or by evaluating: Kabungu current
      install: 'SmallBlog'). Installing SmallBlog will ask you if it
      is ok to install the YAXO prerequisite, and if yes, it will
      download and install both packages. Note that

   2. install Seaside

      it will ask you which 'web server' you want to install, since
      Seaside depends on a web server. If you choose KomHttpServer,
      Kabungu will detect that there is a chain of dependencies
      Seaside -> KomHttpServer -> KomServices -> Dynamic Bindings, and
      will ask you if it is ok to install all of these. If you agree,
      it will download and install them. There is some hitch about
      some older dependency on gk.1 -- that's a bug in the packaging
      of comanche)

   3. install VMMaker in a 3.7 image and in a 3.8 image.

       note that in 3.8 it will install version 3.8b3 while in a 3.7
       image it will automatically attempt to install version 3.7b6
       (but the VMMaker for 3.7 seems somewhat broken).

I haven't entered the dependencies for any other package, so (1-2)
above are the only cases that will work for now. I will enter more
dependencies soon - if you want an easy way to help, send me
dependencies for packages you care about by filling in the
#basicDependencies method.

Obviously this is an early version with rough edges everywhere and
many functionalities missing (the result of a couple of days of
coding), but looking at the previous discussions of dependencies on
this list, I think that the design of Kabungu satisfies most of the
points raised there.

I will try to post a description of its general design shortly, in the
meantime enjoy!

Michal