SCM Basics

[Jason W]

Memory efficiency?  But look at the scm vs tcz findings above.  There really is not much a difference, if not an advantage of self contained as provided thus far, given the above findings on the existing scm apps.  Sure, some things need to exist in the system as a low level shared app or daemon.  But for gtk2 and other apps as provided thus far, there really is not so much a disadvantage.

Each has their own benefits, but if upon findings of real memory disadvantages, then that can be addressed by changes in approach of the self contained method.

[gerald_clark]

Window managers would require symlinks outside of the /apps directory.

[Jason W]

As Gerald mentioned, WM's require base functions outside of /apps that make them best suited to remain tcz's, and they tend to be fairly small anyway.

[curaga]

I don't think compiletc would work as a scm, it would require a ton of symlinks still.

[floppy]

I did not catch the main target of it and the use target.
run a session with only 256MB RAM, no swap, for installing a system with it..?
What is the main reason?.

[gerald_clark]

Floppy, please start at post #1 and read the whole thread.

[Jason W]

For now, to save download and disk space I have taken the development files out of the gtk2 and gtk3 scm's, leaving only the runtime.  The full packages with both runtime and dev stuff is available in the scm repo as gtk2-dev.tar.xz and gtk3-dev.tar.xz.  To use them, just unload the gtk2.scm, then untar the gtk2-dev.tar.xz file into /apps.  It will untar in a gtk2 directory, the same name as the .oaded scm's directory.  Then you can build against it.  Delete that directory when through compiling and reload the gtk2.scm.  It saves a bit of space this way and I think it is worth the extra steps of using the tar.xz.  Regular users won't need to be concerned with using the tar.xz.  And there are and will be only a few large tookit extensions that will need to be done this way, so these simple manual steps should not add undue complexity.

[Jason W]

As mentioned in the CDE thread, I have made some progress on making a self contained and portable app out of stuff existing tcz extensions.  Audacious available as audacious-portable.tar.ga in the scm source area ,self contained, runs for me when untarred into any directory and booted with the "base norestore" option using only base Xlibs and a WM, also installing OSS.tcz, available for testing here:



This is not the original method used configuring with --prefix=/apps/audacious, but is much more portable and flexible, and allows making packages on TC to use anywhere, and to make packages elsewhere to use on TC.  Making self contained portable packages elsewhere for TC or on TC for elsewhere is not the priority, but may exist as a benefit.

[vinnie]

I tested the package, it works but if I try to open the preferences, it crashes.
I understand but I also tried cde, I noted that captures the libraries as the program requires it.
Open preferences while running cde perhaps avoid the crash.

[Jason W]

Ok, I will test it some more and see.

[Jason W]

Ok, it is not seeing the Skins directory, will see what I can do.  This may not be feasible, but we will see.

[Jason W]

I won't spend much time on trying to make a portable app out of existing packages, since they result in much larger size due to including everything.  And that means larger download/disk requirements and larger runtime memory, both of which are primary concerns in the scm model.  Much better to be custom built and lean, and the portability thing is being done by some other projects if one wants to grab a few portable apps.  But the current scm's are pretty portable as they are, since they normally just need some X libs, I run them on slackware and debian.

[vinnie]

I understand, honestly suspected that it was not possible (although I was hoping otherwise), however jason thank you for trying 

[Jason W]

Possible is one thing, feasible and in keeping with the overall scm concept is another. 

I say never say never, but for now compiling specifically for /apps and scm is the way.

[V.Krishn]

What are the inherent problems for scm-build scripts to exist? What I am trying to say is for example, if gtk2.scm did contain the current dependencies for tczs by just rolling into one file.

Can someone point me to url or write the simple steps that takes place in installing a tcz package once it is downloaded in optional dir, ie. mounting+symlinking..etc?