PolicyKit, DeviceKit, PackageKit...Where is it all going?

[ghindo]

I've noticed that all of these new projects coming out - PackageKit, DeviceKit, PolicyKit, ConsoleKit - but my question is, where are they all going? Are all of these projects leading to a more unified Linux desktop? Are they helping at all? How are they related?

[cardinals_fan]

I've noticed that all of these new projects coming out - PackageKit, DeviceKit, PolicyKit, ConsoleKit - but my question is, where are they all going? Are all of these projects leading to a more unified Linux desktop? Are they helping at all? How are they related?

I personally think that PackageKit is an utter abomination that should be sacrificed to the fiery bowels of a volcano. So I don't use it.

[OutOfReach]

All I know is that DeviceKit is an alternative to HAL. I haven't used it, but I heard good things.

[ghindo]

I personally think that PackageKit is an utter abomination that should be sacrificed to the fiery bowels of a volcano. So I don't use it.

I've never actually used PackageKit, so why do you say that? I would think that a unified front-end for various package managers would be a good thing.

[Slug71]

All I know is that DeviceKit is an alternative to HAL. I haven't used it, but I heard good things.

Devicekit is going to replace HAL.

I like Packagekit. Its still in development though so i dont know how people can complain about it. Write to the devs/maintainers and let them no what you want or what is wrong and maybe they will do something about it.
I bet in a couple years when most distros or at least the big ones have it by default, no other frontend will be able to touch it.

[cardinals_fan]

I've never actually used PackageKit, so why do you say that? I would think that a unified front-end for various package managers would be a good thing.

The problem isn't so much with PackageKit as it is with all the distros who have jumped on the bandwagon when it is not anywhere near ready yet. PackageKit holds the award for the buggiest piece of software I've ever tried to use. Every system I've used it on (Fedora, Foresight, openSUSE) has had issues. The package manager crashes randomly, but the biggest issue is the update-applet-thingy. It was very unstable, used a ton of resources, and essentially grabs control of the system. Example: I had a clean new Fedora install. I wanted to update it. The PackageKit update icon sat there in the corner for five minutes apparently doing nothing, so I opened up a shell and tried to update with yum. No can do because PackageKit had control over the system. Finally it popped up an upgrade box, then proceded to crash halfway through the update.

To be quite frank, I don't see the point. The biggest "issue" regarding Linux packaging is the existence of different formats (something I don't personally oppose), and PackageKit does nothing there. All it does is provide the same GUI for many different underlying systems.

[Skripka]

The problem isn't so much with PackageKit as it is with all the distros who have jumped on the bandwagon when it is not anywhere near ready yet. PackageKit holds the award for the buggiest piece of software I've ever tried to use. Every system I've used it on (Fedora, Foresight, openSUSE) has had issues. The package manager crashes randomly, but the biggest issue is the update-applet-thingy. It was very unstable, used a ton of resources, and essentially grabs control of the system. Example: I had a clean new Fedora install. I wanted to update it. The PackageKit update icon sat there in the corner for five minutes apparently doing nothing, so I opened up a shell and tried to update with yum. No can do because PackageKit had control over the system. Finally it popped up an upgrade box, then proceded to crash halfway through the update.

To be quite frank, I don't see the point. The biggest "issue" regarding Linux packaging is the existence of different formats (something I don't personally oppose), and PackageKit does nothing there. All it does is provide the same GUI for many different underlying systems.

Must I say "I agree1111!!!!!!" or can I just say "+1"?

PackageKit is worse than the new Adept at finding things you have already installed on your machine.

[ghindo]

All I know is that DeviceKit is an alternative to HAL. I haven't used it, but I heard good things.

I found this, which details DeviceKit pretty thoroughly, and why it's replacing HAL. Interesting stuff.

[bruce89]

PackageKit is worse than the new Adept at finding things you have already installed on your machine.

The great thing about Free Software is the fact it improves.

You missed out WebKit (only the name is similar in this case).

[cardinals_fan]

The great thing about Free Software is the fact it improves.

Not necessarily. Because the source is available, floundering projects with promising ideas will generally fork and grow, but that doesn't mean that everything gets better all the time.