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Goatzilla - not sure what this solves? Are you saying that each package is a unionfs on the SD card and that it contains all the dependencies? If it does that - then aren't these just monolithic packages? If the dependencies are on different physical volumes then it doesn't solve the problem. Or am I missing something.
The rest of the modern world isn't dealing with a small amount of valuable "always available storage" and two removable high capacity storage devices that can't be guaranteed to be there. Yes, the goal is for the end-user to be able to go "whatevercommand whizbang_of_your_choice" and be done. We're just figuring out how to make it foolproof.
BTW, to folks saying GBs are cheap - I plan on reusing my old SD cards - yes, even the 128MB ones! This isn't just a financial decision it's environmental sound to reuse rather than replace on every level.
It basically solves the whole "removable, copyable system on the SD" thing. It doesn't necessarily solve the monolithic package thing as I'm not really in favor of that in the first place. It's actually similar to the cramfs idea; in fact a union'd cramfs, if possible, would be interesting.
The whole "whatevercommand whizbang_of_your_choice" system has already been very heavily worked on and tested, and continues to undergo development. That's great that you're trying to figure out a "foolproof" method, but it's seriously getting into the "reinventing the square wheel" realm of things.
I applaud reuse of old cards, but you should take care not to inflict unnecessary damage on a larger, more broad ranging infrastructure to just to save old cards. There are plenty of other uses for old cards.
Squidge said:
Assuming you have Wifi and an x-term. Plus it makes it more difficult to copy applications elsewhere without knowing exactly what files it needs. Want to clean up your card? You'll have to wipe and start again as you've no idea what programs need what files. I agree that apt-get and the like make things a lot easier for the desktop, but not for a mobile device. Self-contained software just makes the whole thing a LOT easier for everyone (apart from the purists, maybe - "But I could have saved 200KB if the libraries were seperate!")
I think functional wifi is an acceptable assumption for a mobile device. Both the PSP and NDS have wifi. My EEE has wifi, and so does my N770. Wireless is the preferred route on mobile devices for the simple fact that they are supposed to be... mobile. I routinely update the EEE and N770 via a wireless connection of some sort, many times (in fact most of the time) when I'm not at home and don't have another machine available to "sneakernet" a package onto a card to then transfer it to a destination device. Hence, mobile.
You can clean up a card by using various tools already available with Debian to remove packages that you don't want or need. You decide the "DO NOT WANT" part of that; the tools can tell you what you don't need. (aptitude, deborphan, etc).
I think these are sort of unrelated side issues anyways. People have been installing Debian packages without network connections for a long time.
It boils down to more or less one question: do you think you can come up with something better than what already exists?
What does your GP2x experience tell you?
