[Info-vax] VMS and package managers, was: Re: Micro Focus Merger with Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Software Business Segment

[John E. Malmberg]

On 10/3/2016 7:57 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>
> Absolutely no reason why not; the licence would just be an
> additional optional step.
>
> A package would also record _all_ the quotas/resources/system
> configuration information it needs within the installation file
> itself and a VMS package manager could also automatically apply
> these as required. When deinstalling the package, the package
> manager could then optionally reverse these changes (where it
> either made any sense to do so or was otherwise viable to do so
> of course).

PCSI can record this information, all that is is data in the file.

Autogen has the ability to automatically use such files installed by the 
package.  Some packages take advantage of this.

> You could also supply a list of users using a package and have their
> user quotas increased automatically by the package manager instead
> of you having to do it manually. You could do this either during
> installation or ask the package manager to configure additional
> usernames afterwards as needed.

Usually packages can not set fixed quotas, but can install scripts to be 
run at login to validate the quotas.  Several DECSET packages do this.

> If VMS had some kind of decent init system for startup, such a
> package manager could then automatically insert the package into
> the startup sequence (and at the correct point) if required and
> then remove it automatically during product removal.

I do not know what your definition of decent is.  The sysman utility can 
update that startup database:

   mcr sysman help startup

> Such a package manager would also have tools to let you know when
> updated versions of your packages are available (for example, when
> a new patch is available) and allow you to download the updated
> package over a verifiably trustable connection and then install it.
>
> There are also various other things you can do with a package manager;
> looking at the man pages for the various Linux package managers will
> give you some insights.
>
> IOW, yes VMS needs a package manager (and a decent init system) and
> yes all that manual stuff you do when installing some tools should
> not be needed in the 21st century.
>
> Simon.
>
> PS: PCSI does not count as a package manager and systartup_vms.com
> and friends do not count as a decent init system. If you think
> they do, then you have never used a real package manager or init
> system. (IMHO).

Yes, PCSI is a package installer/remover, not a package manager.  It 
could probably be quite a bit improved.

I have not used the sysman startup features in the PCSI kits.

A package manager could be implemented that knew how to use 
PCSI/VMSINSTAL to install things.

Regards,
-John
wb8tyw at qsl.net_work