Install from Binary Archives (was Re: port install efficiency issue)

[Dave Howell]

On Mar 22, 2009, at 22:54 , Darren Weber wrote:

>
> I In effect, every time anybody on this grid has to build a package  
> from source, some kind of meta-package monitor can detect whether  
> the build and install was successful and then make an inquiry of a  
> central managment system as to whether or not this build should be  
> added to the mirrors for binary distributions.  If this inquiry was  
> made before the build and a binary is available somewhere, the  
> system simply downloads the binary (perhaps a torrent system).  If  
> the binary is not available, the build proceeds.

Maybe I'm not following it correctly, but it sounds very complicated.

What about this: I do a "ports install widget", ports looks for a  
binary, doesn't find one that matches (in this case, the default  
options and current version), so it goes about building it. When it's  
done, it says "upload compiled binary to binary archives?" I say "Y",  
and up it goes. Now it's available for the next user who comes along.

When I first install MacPorts, I could select at that time to en/ 
disable the "upload binaries" option.

This scheme inherently selects for more popular configurations. If  
nobody ever happens to ask for a particular setup, it'll never take up  
space in the archive.

There is probably some effort on somebody's part required to help  
figure out when a particular binary is actually a match or not.
	Widget 3.2 compiled on Intel 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo under OSX 10.5.2 with  
gcc 4.0 from XCode 3.0
	Widget 3.2 compiled on Intel 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo under OSX 10.5.2 with  
gcc 4.0 from XCode 3.1.2
	Widget 3.2 compiled on Intel 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo under OSX 10.5.4 with  
gcc 4.0 from XCode 3.1.2

Same or different? I personally don't think I know enough to be able  
to answer that question, but I know enough to believe that the answer  
is not necessarily the same for different ports, depending on what  
they link to?


I certainly love the sound of "port install fuudingus" saying
	There is a binary for this port available.
	Compiled under OSX 10.5.4 with gcc 4.0 from XCode 3.1.2
	Warning! Your installation of XCode is 3.0
	Would you like to install from the binary file (Y/N)?