Ipk Installation Questions

[sdjf]

I am working on a basic guide for preventing and troubleshooting problems with IPK installation, and have a bunch of questions I need help with if it is going to be comprehensive and user-friendly.

First, I use Sharp ROM and need to know the what are the names for the GUI IPK installers for other distros?  

Second, my efforts to learn how to install an IPK directly from a Package Feed were a dismal failure.  I have included Capn_Fish's instructions for pdaXroms, but can someone enlighten me how to do it on Sharp ROMs?

Third, I never am sure whether the package size shown on feeds is the space required for installation or just the size of the ipk.  Also, sometimes we get ipks from places that don't have that information.  What's the easiest way to examine the ipk for how much space is required without actually unpacking it?

Fourth, if someone is using the GUI installer, does it matter whether they tap OK or EXIT when installation is completed?   I usually unpack by hand, using tar and gunzip, and don't have much recent experience with the GUI installer.

Fifth, what are the standard directories in which the binary, image and desktop files for an application are found on various ROMs?  On my 2.38, they are:

For image files:  /home/QtPalmtop/pics/<br>
For desktop files:  /home/QtPalmtop/apps/Applications/ <br>
For the binary: /home/QtPalmtop/bin/ is one good location.

Sixth, I know absolutely nothing about syncing as I have no experience with it.  Can someone point me to a specific page on a user-friendly resource I can send readers to, for learning about it?  My own searches turned up nothing that seemed appropriate.

Finally, ipkg extracts the files to a temporary directory. Am I correct in thinking it is /tmp/ipkg/inst on Sharp ROMs?  Is it the same on other ROMs?

The current version of this guide is at:

http://www.sdjf.esmartdesign.com/ipks/install.html

Please let me know if you find any errors or omissions, have any suggestions for improvement, or find anything that is hard to understand.

Thanks,
sdjf

[Capn_Fish]

1. In pdaXrom it's "qpkg" (for the terminal command).

2. I think adding

Code: [Select]

src NAME http://www.myfeed.com/feed
to /etc/ipkg.conf should do it, but I don't know for sure (I think I told you the same thing earlier). You then can do an

Code: [Select]

ipkg update
to see if it worked.

3. Package size is the installed size in the cases I've checked. It is generated by the Packages file generation script. You could use that (I can post a link to it if you need it) to get the sizes.

4. I don't know for sure, but I would think not.

5. On pdaX:

Executables: /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin (sometimes /sbin or/usr/sbin, maybe /usr/local/sbin)

Images: /usr/share/pixmaps or /usr/local/share/pixmaps

.desktop files: /usr/share/applications or /usr/local/share/applications

6. Not I

7. I thinks in pdaX it's /home/temp or some such place. I'm not entirely sure, though.

Hope this helps.

[sdjf]

About the /home/temp directory, the next time you are installing a package, is it possible to check it's contents to see what's there (if anything) before the installation is completed?  Or maybe run "lsof | grep /home/temp | xargs ls -l" (pdaXrom users only)

I have to digest the rest and get back to you on it.  I also realized I should look at the oesf wiki pages about syncing.

thanks,
sdjf

[Meanie]

About the /home/temp directory, the next time you are installing a package, is it possible to check it's contents to see what's there (if anything) before the installation is completed?  Or maybe run "lsof | grep /home/temp | xargs ls -l" (pdaXrom users only)

I have to digest the rest and get back to you on it.  I also realized I should look at the oesf wiki pages about syncing.

thanks,
sdjf
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it should be /opt/QtPalmtop and not /home/QtPalmtop even though it really is /home/QtPalmtop and /opt/QtPalmtop is a symbolic link to it in most cases, but depending on the version of the ROM and/or model, /home/QtPalmtop may not exist.

also, you might also want to warn people not to use the GUI installer on OpenZaurus and use the command line version instead because the GUI installer crashes.

[sdjf]

1.  Capn_Fish said the command line installer is qpkg for pdaX ROMs.

Please clarify.  Does that mean that there is no "ipkg" command in pdaX  ROMs, or that "qpkg" calls the GUI?

Also, can someone with pdaX  and other ROMs check what the name of the installer application is when you have the Package Installation GUI open, if it isn't "qpkg"?  A "ps" command should tell you.

2.  I have tried adding http://www.myfeed.com/feed to /etc/ipkg.conf, and it has made no difference in the GUI. I don't want to permanently download an entire list of the packages on the feed, I don't have room.  Is that what "ipkg update" would do?

Also, I would expect to find a menu letting me choose which feed I want the installer to go to.  I see nothing looking like that.

3.  Is the Packages File script basic linux and same for all ROMs?  I would guess so.  Yes, a link will be helpful.  So people can run it just to get the info and not necessarily just use it to make a feed?  Interesting thought.

5.   Thanks, I have added the info about the directories for images, executables, etc. in pdaX ROMs.

6.  Thanks Meanie.  I'll add that.  I did see my /opt/QtPalmtop on Sharp is a symlink to /home/QtPalmtop, but I also have found files in /tmp/ipkg/inst (I think) when ipkg crashed.

You guys have given me some homework to do.  More suggestions are still welcome.

Thanks,
sdjf

[Capn_Fish]

1. 'qpkg' calls the GUI installer. 'ipkg' is the command line tool/backend.

2. I believe so. I think you have to make it

Code: [Select]

src http://www.myfeed.com/feed
as well.

3. Yes, I believe so.

The pdaX package manager is just called 'Package Manager' AFAIK.

Hope that clears that up.

1.  Capn_Fish said the command line installer is qpkg for pdaX ROMs.

Please clarify.  Does that mean that there is no "ipkg" command in pdaX  ROMs, or that "qpkg" calls the GUI?

Also, can someone with pdaX  and other ROMs check what the name of the installer application is when you have the Package Installation GUI open, if it isn't "qpkg"?  A "ps" command should tell you.

2.  I have tried adding http://www.myfeed.com/feed to /etc/ipkg.conf, and it has made no difference in the GUI. I don't want to permanently download an entire list of the packages on the feed, I don't have room.  Is that what "ipkg update" would do?

Also, I would expect to find a menu letting me choose which feed I want the installer to go to.  I see nothing looking like that.

3.  Is the Packages File script basic linux and same for all ROMs?  I would guess so.  Yes, a link will be helpful.  So people can run it just to get the info and not necessarily just use it to make a feed?  Interesting thought.

5.   Thanks, I have added the info about the directories for images, executables, etc. in pdaX ROMs.

6.  Thanks Meanie.  I'll add that.  I did see my /opt/QtPalmtop on Sharp is a symlink to /home/QtPalmtop, but I also have found files in /tmp/ipkg/inst (I think) when ipkg crashed.

You guys have given me some homework to do.  More suggestions are still welcome.

Thanks,
sdjf
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[sdjf]

Capn_Fish:  Thank you, yes that does help clarify things.

I'm going to try to track down some Sharp ROM folks if none contribute here...I think I'm not a good candidate to write the package feed section as I don't have any desire to use that approach, and don't want to spend a lot more time futzing around trying to figure it out.  (Yes, I included ""src".  I think some steps are missing.)

Spreading myself too thin...

sdjf

[Meanie]

1.  Capn_Fish said the command line installer is qpkg for pdaX ROMs.

Please clarify.  Does that mean that there is no "ipkg" command in pdaX  ROMs, or that "qpkg" calls the GUI?

Also, can someone with pdaX  and other ROMs check what the name of the installer application is when you have the Package Installation GUI open, if it isn't "qpkg"?  A "ps" command should tell you.

2.  I have tried adding http://www.myfeed.com/feed to /etc/ipkg.conf, and it has made no difference in the GUI. I don't want to permanently download an entire list of the packages on the feed, I don't have room.  Is that what "ipkg update" would do?

Also, I would expect to find a menu letting me choose which feed I want the installer to go to.  I see nothing looking like that.

3.  Is the Packages File script basic linux and same for all ROMs?  I would guess so.  Yes, a link will be helpful.  So people can run it just to get the info and not necessarily just use it to make a feed?  Interesting thought.

5.   Thanks, I have added the info about the directories for images, executables, etc. in pdaX ROMs.

6.  Thanks Meanie.  I'll add that.  I did see my /opt/QtPalmtop on Sharp is a symlink to /home/QtPalmtop, but I also have found files in /tmp/ipkg/inst (I think) when ipkg crashed.

You guys have given me some homework to do.  More suggestions are still welcome.

Thanks,
sdjf
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all Zaurus distros have the command line package management tool called ipkg. on some distros, this is a shell script, whereas on others, like OZ, ... it is a binary file.
Most Zaurus distros also have a GUI version of the package management tool. In pdaXrom, you invoke the GUI package manager by running qpkg from the console if you dont want to invoke it from the menu.
if you use the GUI package manager tool, you can usually change the feeds you want to use from the GUI tool, but if you are using the command line ipkg tool, then you would need to manually edit ipkg.conf
ipkg update will then pull down all the Packages files from all the feeds that are configured. An ipkg upgrade would in theory then upgrade all the installed packages but this is not always a good idea since some feeds have conflicting packages and things might get very broken.

[sdjf]

Thanks, Meanie.  My problem with the GUI tool is that the meaning of all the pictures when using "install via network" is far from intuitive.  I figure if I can't figure it out, others must have the same issue, and I have to find someone using the Sharp ROM to enlighten me.  I just haven't gotten around to sending PMs yet.

sdjf

[Meanie]

Thanks, Meanie.  My problem with the GUI tool is that the meaning of all the pictures when using "install via network" is far from intuitive.  I figure if I can't figure it out, others must have the same issue, and I have to find someone using the Sharp ROM to enlighten me.  I just haven't gotten around to sending PMs yet.

sdjf
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the old sharp roms were in english and have manuals (also in english)...