Hi Randy,
Basically, if we want all OE packages in there so that the user can install non-included things as well, we'd need to setup the server so that it bakes all other packages from our OE Clone (http://git.openpandora.org/cgi-
bin/gitweb.cgi?p=openembedded.git;a=su
mmary) as well, but doesn't include them in the image, but only in the feeds.
Once that has happened, we can easily switch the Pandora to use our feeds.
No need to include all OE packages. The opkg config files (in /etc/opkg/)
let
you specify multiple feeds at different priorities. The arch.conf file
lists feed
names and relative priorities, while *-feed.conf gives the corresponding
URL
for each feed. Simply set the Pandora feed as the highest priority and
the
Angstrom feeds lower; that way, all Angstrom packages are accessible
unless
there's a Pandora-specific version that supersedes it. Of course, not all Angstrom packages will necessarily work next to Pandora packages. But if
a
package is found to need Pandora-specific fixes, the fixed version can be added to the Pandora feed.
That is exactly how I plan to setup the .next stuff. At the moment the builds just point off to the Angstrom repos but the plan is to use the OpenPandora ones at the top and the main Angstrom ones 2nd. We can also choose to mirror all of Angstroms repo is we want.
Angstrom already builds packages for the OpenPandora machine type (or compatible generic ARMv7) so we just need to push up the changes from .next into mainline (most important really is kernel and kernel config so it cascades down the build and is pretty close to what we ship in the firmware) that is really no big deal at all, once things are working well of course.
None of this unfortunately gets us away from NAND abuse and people filling it up with packages, that was the initial problem that had us shy away from pushing OPKG and this model with the 1st release ;).
Mindlord,
Regarding Debian packages, you may want to mail the guys maintaining that work to ask them how they want to tackle the problem (cc the list by all means).
Regards,
John