The rise of linux (was RE: [ILUG] Pre configured boxes)

[Kenn Humborg]

> > >  Then it said "insufficent disk space on /" - smeg. It's trying to install
> > > into /opt. This stupid idea on StarDivisions part makes life a lot harder.
> > > Sure, I know that I can make /usr/opt, make a link, install it, and then
> > > link /usr/opt/Soffice50/bin/soffice to /usr/bin/soffice - but a beginner
> > > sure wouldn't. Linux and it's apps have a hell of a way to go yet.

This is arguably an RPM problem.  Before copying files,
RPM should total up the space required on each target
partition and make sure it's there, and die if it's not.
There is already enough into in the .rpm file to do this.
Unfortunately, it is hidden inside a compressed cpio
archive, making it a bit expensive to get at.

Maybe, instead, the .rpm header should contain a disk
space summary in the form of:

   /usr/bin  123KB
   /usr/lib   456KB
   /usr/lib/app  788KB
   /etc   3KB

This could easily be generated at build time, and wouldn't
take up much space.  Then RPM can determine at install
time, which file systems these directories are in, and 
total the up accordingly.

Then, because J Random Luser could create a 200MB file
during the actual data copy, it should handle out-of-space
errors by removing all the files it copied.

Hmmm, must mention this to the RPM maintainers...

Later,
Kenn