
	This file answers some Frequently Asked Questions about src2pkg

#####################################################################
1.  How do you pronounce 'src2pkg'?
2.  What is src2pkg?
3.  What is src2pkg *not*?
4.  How can I get help using src2pkg?
5.  What programs are included with src2pkg?
6.  What 'dependencies' are required for using src2pkg?
7.  How can I get started using src2pkg?
8.  Why are some of lines $NAME.src2pkg file commented out?
9.  What are the minimum lines needed, then for a NAME.src2pkg script?
10. What is 'do_all_processes'?
11. What's the difference bewteen new.* and *.new files?
12. Can src2pkg resume a build which has been interrupted?
#####################################################################

1. How do you pronounce 'src2pkg'?
	'src2pkg' is pronounced 'source to package'


2. What is src2pkg?
	src2pkg is a program for creating installable archives (packages),
   --usually from compilable source code. But, it can also be used
   to package any sort of material. It was originally intended for 
   building installable package for use on Slackware Linux, or any
   other Linux distribution which uses the 'pkgtools' collection
   for package management. But, it can now also produce packages for
   other systems using other package formats.
   
   src2pkg provides a comprehensive solution to packaging software
   for delivery to others or for your own use. It can package
   content of any kind, as taken from most common types of archives
   or even from un-archived material. It works transparently with
   most configuration methods used by sources, including autoconf,
   imake, cmake, jam, scons, perl, python, tcl, qmake or even
   others including sources with just a simple Makefile.
   
   The simple format and usage of src2pkg build scripts makes it
   possible to create a package from any sort of material.
   
   src2pkg can also be used to convert packages from one format
   to another. When doing so, a large set of checks and corrections
   is run to ensure the best compatibility with the target system.

3. What is src2pkg *not*?
	src2pkg is not a 'system updater' or software/package 'manager'.
   src2pkg is intended for creating packages which can be 'managed'
   by other software. src2pkg does have the ability to install
   packages as they are built -but this is meant for use on-the-fly
   so that groups of packages which depend on each other can be
   easily built and installed in series.
   
   
4. How can I get help using src2pkg?
	All the main utilities included with src2pkg can show a basic
   help-page by running the command with the '--help' argument.
   for instance: 'src2pkg --help' will show the basic help-page
   for src2pkg. There are also man-pages for each program which
   can be viewed with the command 'man prog', where 'prog' is
   src2pkg, trackinstall, tracklist or sentry. The man-pages
   are similar to the help-page shown by the program itself,
   but with slightly more explanation.
   
   You can also find various helpful documents in the src2pkg
   sources, or in the directory where douments are installed
   on your system, under the directory src2pkg-VERSION, where
   VERSION is the version number of src2pkg which you are using.
   
   There is also a WIKI for src2pkg which can be viewed online
   with any internet browser at:
   http://www.src2pkg.net/dokuwiki/doku.php
   
   You can also email the author, Gilbert Ashley, directly and
   ask for help -especially regarding advanced features of src2pkg.
   Any comments, feature requests or bug-related issues or fixes
   should also be directed to:
   amigo@ibiblio.org
   The author is usually quick and happy to respond to any
   emails about src2pkg. It is helpful to inclde the word
   'src2pkg' in the subject line of the email to be sure that
   the email is not overlooked or filtered out as spam.

5. What programs are included with src2pkg?
	src2pkg originally was a simple script-driven API for creating
   packages. But, over time a couple of 'wrappers' have been
   added which make src2pkg act more like a 'program'. Of course,
   the main one is the 'program' src2pkg. It is meant for use
   as a do-it-all command for (usually) downloading, uncompressing,
   configuring and compiling source code, and the turning the result
   into an installable package.
   
   The other main 'program', or wrapper, is called 'trackinstall'.
   trackinstall is a drop-in replacement for the once-popular
   program called checkinstall -with one key difference. Whereas
   checkinstall always really installed the compiled software,
   src2pkg tries to avoid this, if at all possible, unless you
   tell it do so.
   
   In most cases, src2pkg uses a small library named 'libsentry'
   to 'track' and log all the operations carried out when the
   'make install' (or other) command is run. By logging all the
   activity which creates, deletes, renames or modifies files,
   src2pkg is able to control where these files go and make sure
   they all wind up in your package and that the files on your
   system remain unchanged by the packaging operation. libsentry
   must be compiled on your system to ensure the best compatibility
   with your glibc and gcc versions. libsentry also includes a
   'wrapper' named 'sentry' which can be used in the same way as
   the well-known 'installwatch' program. sentry/libsentry is,
   in fact, a fork of the installwatch library and program, although
   nearly all the changes made in libentry have been incorporated
   into the 'git' repository of installwatch. There is another
   'wrapper' which makes using 'sentry' even easier -'tracklist'.
   Since sentry alone produces a pretty non-readable log, the 
   'tracklist' adds log-parsing options which produce a shorter and
   easier-to-read output which can even by used by other scripts.
   
   src2pkg and trackinstall are simple bash shell scripts, which serve
   as wrappers to the src2pkg API. The 'API' is a series of shell
   'functions'. Each function is a block of code which performs
   a well-defined operation. sentry is a shell wrapper which works
   directly with libsentry. tracklist is a bash script which acts
   as a wrapper to the sentry wrapper. src2pkg also includes
   another shell script named 'disrpm' which again is a wrapper
   to the 'hexdump' or 'od' programs which are found on most
   systems. disrpm is used to decompress '*.rpm' or '*.deb'
   archives and works even on systems where 'rpm', 'rpm2cpio'
   or 'dpkg' are not installed. All of these programs are installed
   under /usr/bin by src2pkg. Since src2pkg can even be used by
   non-root users, they are plced in the normal path of all users.
   A small script called 'sb2sp' is also included and installed
   under /usr/bin. sb2sp is for 'translating' SlackBuild-type
   build scripts into the src2pkg format.
   
   sentry and tracklist are both useless unless libsentry is
   present on the system. We choose to deliver src2pkg as a
   non-binary package since compiling libsentry on the same system
   where it will be used provides the best possible compatibility
   with the version of libc being used on that system.
   
   libsentry works by 'intercepting' the actions of the programs
   which are most often used to create or install files. That is,
   programs like cp, install, rm and several others have their
   actions scrutinized by libsentry before being carried out. This
   allows src2pkg to even make backups of files which are about
   to be overwritten on your system, and restore them automatically
   afterwards.
   
   Once src2pkg is installed, the command 'src2pkg --setup' is used
   to compile and install libsentry. It gets installed in its' own
   directory under /usr/libexec/src2pkg/lib.
   
   To ensure the most reliable results when installations commands
   are run, src2pkg also compiles and installs known versions of the
   most commonly used programs for installing, creating or modifying
   files. These include these commands: cat, chmod, chown, cp, ginstall,
   groups, install, link, ln, mkdir, mknod, mv, readlink, rm, rmdir,
   stat, touch and unlink. These are all compiled from the original
   sources for coreutils-5.2.1. This version is chosen because of its'
   known behaviour and compatibility across many systems. All of these
   programs are purrposely installed by src2pkg under the directory
   /usr/libexec/src2pkg/bin so that they will *not* be in any users'
   nornmal path. This keeps them from interfering with any other
   operations other than when running src2pkg.
   
   src2pkg also compiles and installs an older version of the tar 
   program, tar-1.13, as it is indespensable for creating proper
   Slackware-compatible packages. The sources are patched before
   compiling to add a couple of handy command-line options for easy
   usage with archive-compression formats which were unavailable at
   the time tar-1.13 was released. tar-1.13 is also installed under
   /usr/libexec/src2pkg/bin for the same resons given above.
   
   Finally, src2pkg will *optionally* compile and install a program
   called unionfs which is a front-end to the 'fuse' Filesystem in
   Userspace kernel module. This only gets compiled and installed
   if the system has the kernel module, the libfuse libraries and
   the development headers necessary for compiling. If built, the
   unionfs program makes possible an extra type of 'installation
   environment' using the unionfs and chroot.
   
   The installation also includes a slightly-modified version of the
   standard gettextize program Since normally gettextize is interactive,
   that is it always stops and prompts the user before finishing,
   a copy is included with src2pkg which does not stop and prompt
   the user before finishing. This ensures that in the (rare) case where
   gettextize gets called during configuration, configuration doesn't
   needlessly stop. This gets installed under /usr/libexec/src2pkg/bin
   so it won't intefere with normal use of gettextize.
   
6. What 'dependencies' are required for using src2pkg?
	src2pkg does most of its' work using utilities which will normally
   be found on nearly any system: bash >=3.0 , coreutils and sed.
   
   You'll need at least a minimal development environment for using
   src2pkg -even the 'setup' of src2pkg requires the basics. As
   a minimum you'll need: make, binutils, kernel/libc headers.
   Depending on the type of sources you are trying to compile and package,
   you may need any number of other tools like autoconf, cmake or
   others. See the file 'Technical' for details of what is required
   for each type of sources which src2pkg can work with.
   
   There are other optional functions of src2pkg which can only be
   used if the corresponding tools are installed on your system. For
   instance, src2pkg can use upx or exepak to compress the binaries
   in your packages, but you must install these tools separately for
   src2pkg to be able to use them.
   
   Still, some *essentials* needed by src2pkg are supplied in the form
   of source code in the src2pkg package itself. These get compiled
   and installed on your system by src2pkg by running 'src2pkg --setup'.

7. How can I get started using src2pkg?
	src2pkg must be 'set up' on your system before it is usable. src2pkg
   uses a few binary programs or libraries in order to safely build
   packages. The src2pkg package contains the sources for these programs
   so they can be compiled and installed on your system by src2pkg itself.
   This assures the best binary compatibility with your system. In order
   to set up src2pkg, you must be logged in as 'root' or other super-user.
   Then simply open a terminal and run the command 'src2pkg --setup'. This
   will start the compilation of all the programs and finish by installing
   them on your system. the you can begin normal use of src2pkg.
   
   Thereafter, src2pkg can be used while logged in as normal users. There
   are a few cases where you should be logged in as root in order
   to create a proper package, but usually you can create correct packages
   while running as a non-priviledged user. src2pkg can usually tell when
   you need to build a package as root for proper results, and will alert
   you when it thinks this is the case.
   
   The best way to get started with src2pkg is take a simple example,
   which installs only a few files, and dive right into using src2pkg
   by following the example commands shown in the help or man-pages.
   For a deeper understanding of the workings of src2pkg, or help
   getting started using src2pkg scripts, see the other documentation
   and/or examples included with src2pkg.
   
   Most sources can be compiled using only a few command-line options,
   but src2pkg provides a large number of configurable otpions -some of
   which can only be accessed by using a src2pkg build script, or by
   otherwise passing environmental variables to src2pkg at run-time.
   
   It is helpful (and reassuring) to start by using small, simple sources
   which you already know can be compiled on your system, and that normally
   only install a few files. this will let you investigate and practice the
   most useful command-line options without having to wait for long compile
   times or worrying about hundreds of files being scattered around!
   
   A small note about the command-line syntax is in order here. src2pkg
   does not use getopts, so you can't run multiple options together. For
   instance, combining the options -C, -W and -D into -CWD is not possible.
   Each option must have its' own preceeding '-' or '--' in the case of
   long options. In most cases, for options which neither require nor accept
   arguments the option uses UPPERCASE letters. lowercase options mostly
   require an argument and can usually be used either like this: '--option=arg'
   or: -o=a ,w here 'o' is the short form of the option name and 'a' is the
   argument to the option. The most commonly used option is the one needed
   to pass extra options to the 'configure' script found in most sources.
   The src2pkg syntax for this option is either: '--extra_configs=???' or:
   '-e=??' , where '??' would be somthing like '--disable-plugins' or whatever.
   This command-line syntax corresponds to the EXTRA_CONFIGS variable as used
   by the internal src2pkg API and to the way it should be written in a src2pkg
   build script. So, on the command-line, the whole thing would look like this:
   src2pkg -e='--disable-plugins' tarball-name. The same option in a src2pkg script,
   would look like this: EXTRA_CONFIGS='--disable-plugins'
   
   An effort has been made to limit the command-line options to only the most
   useful ones -as a way of not overwhelming the user with many pages of help
   or man-pages. The syntax is generally consistent, except for a few special
   commands which don't easily fit in the normal types of options, and aren't
   normally used often.
   
   The formatting-style and syntax of src2pkg scripts is also designed to
   have a clean, simple look, so that it is easier to understand and to be able
   quickly spot anything which has been added to the script or commented out.
   The internal coding style of the API is also *meant* to be clean and self-
   descriptive. But unless you are pretty good at reading shell code, you may
   find it hard to understand as a whole. There are over 10,000 lines of code
   in the internal functions used by src2pkg, so don't feel bad if it looks
   like spaghetti to you!
   
8. Why are some of lines $NAME.src2pkg file commented out?
	Some lines are shown in the script mostly as information on the default options which
	were used to create the package, and to make it easy for you to edit them if they
	need to be different. But they are commented out if they are system-dependent options
	and not package-specific. STD_FLAGS is a good example. On a regular Intel PC, the
	STD_FLAGS would probably show as: STD_FLAGS="-O2 -march=i486 -mtune=i686". but on
	an AMD64 they might be STD_FLAGS="-O2 -fPIC" or on a PPC machine just STD_FLAGS="-O2".
	These options aren't package-dependent, they depend on which system is being used.
	And the default STD_FLAGS are usually calculated by src2pkg according to the system
	or they are set to whatever you like/need in the src2pkg.conf file, where they will
	always be used unless overridden by the $NAME.src2pkg script.
	If the line for STD_FLAGS were left uncommented, then the script would most likely
	have to be edited by hand in order to build the same software on a different system.
	Other options which have a direct bearing on the success of the build on any platform
	are left uncommented so they *do* get used -like EXTRA_CONFIGS, if in use.
	If you auto-generate a $NAME.src2pkg.auto script using -A or -N, then src2pkg will
	sort out what should be commented and what should not. You can always uncomment or
	edit any lines that need it.

9. What are the minimum lines needed, then for a NAME.src2pkg script?
	Just three (3) lines! Like this:
	SOURCE_NAME=some-prog.tar.bz2
	. /usr/libexec/src2pkg/FUNCTIONS
	do_all_processes
	Of course this only works if no special options or instructions are needed to build
	the package. This also means you could build the package without any script at all,
	just by running 'src2pkg prog.tar.bz2'. You could even have it download the sources
	for you by running 'src2pkg URL' where URL is the internet address of the sources.
	
10. What is 'do_all_processes'?
	do_all_processes is a short-cut function which simply runs all the normal steps for
	building a package -in their normal order. Whe src2pkg writes a script for you, it
	lists all the steps individually to make it easier for you to comment out a step
	so that it gets skipped, or for you to add extra code bewteen the normal steps.
	
11. What's the difference bewteen new.* and *.new files?
	Filenames which start with 'new' are files generated by src2pkg. They will get
	over-written each time you re-run using -A or -N. Removing the 'new.' part from
	the name leaves them with their 'official' name. Changing to the 'official' name
	means the files get used as-is and theat they will not be over-written or removed.
	Giving the file its 'real' name tells src2pkg: "I want you to use this."
	
	Filenames that *end* with '.new' are a special kind of configuration file. A special
	routine in the doinst.sh script dor the package, makes these files get special
	treatment when the package is installed and the doinst.sh script is run. '*.new'
	files have the 'official' name when the '.new' part is removed. But, the doinst.sh
	handles these files with a small routine which compares the new '*.new' file with
	any file with the official name which is already installed on the system. The result
	is that, if you have a conf file (say /etc/prog.conf, for example) which you have edited,
	then if your package contains an etc/prog.conf.new file, your original prog.conf
	will not be overwritten by the prog.conf.new file. Otherwise, prog.conf.new will get
	renamed to prog.conf, replacing the old one, when the package is installed -in most
	cases.
	You have to create *.new files yourself. Naming them *.new just tells src2pkg to
	be sure and write the special routine to handle them into the doinst.sh script for
	the package.
	
	Read the file 'Special-files' for more specific information about these files.

12. Can src2pkg resume a build which has been interrupted?
	Yes, src2pkg can resume builds or pause at certain points during the build to
	let you examine the sources or package-tree contents. This functionality is
	*not* intended for the purpose of letting you do things manually in the sources
	or package-tree while src2pkg is paused, or before resuming a build. Doing so
	would defeat one of the main purposes of using src2pkg -that is, being able to
	reliably repeat any build in a non-interactive manner. For details of how to
	use the --resume and/or --pause options, see section '8' of the file Technical.