
				src2pkg - trackinstall - sentry
				Copyright 2005-2010 Gilbert Ashley
				amigo@ibilio.org amigolinux.org

	src2pkg is a system for creating installable software packages from
	source code or any other type of content. It can create packages
	of several different formats, depending on which system you are
	building packages for. It can also convert existing packages into
	packages of a different format or type. See the file 'Technical'
	for details of the formats supported.

	src2pkg is both a command-line tool and a package-creation API which
	can be used by simple 'build scripts' in order to make the process
	repeatable or to perform the complex tasks needed for some packages.

The goals of src2pkg are these:

1. Above all, make the task of compiling software and creating packages
   as safe as possible. src2pkg allows most packages to be created
   while logged in as a normal un-priviledged user. And all default
   operations carried out by src2pkg are done as safely as possible.
   
2. Create packages which are uniform and standards-compliant. src2pkg
   can comply with several different packaging standards and allows
   you to choose which to use.
   
3. Make creation of packages as simple and easy as possible for the
   casual user, while providing sufficient flexibility and depth of
   utility to keep 'power users' happy, as well.
   
4. Encourage 'best practices' when working with software, according
   to the spirit of open-source software and in compliance with the
   'free' software licenses under which it is made available.
   
5. Encourage the repeatability and reliability of packaging software.
   By using src2pkg 'build scripts', an accurate and repeatable 'recipe'
   is kept of the package building process. These scripts also provide
   a place to keep any notes to yourself (or others) about each package.
   This is important both for users who only rarely create a package
   as well as for those who create lots of packages.
   
6. src2pkg should be compatible with multiple architectures and/or
   operating systems. src2pkg is known to work under Linux and similar
   OS's running on various kinds of hardware, including x86(intel),
   x86_64, PPC and others. It can even be used on multi-lib systems
   or in a cross-compiling environment.


The src2pkg package includes extensive documentation which can help you
get the best use out of src2pkg:

1. The file 'FAQ' answers some of the most frequently asked questions, and
is a good place to start learning about src2pkg.

2. Technical details and specifications can be found in the file 'Technical'.

3. The file 'Tutorial' contains a fairly short 'course' for getting started
using src2pkg to create packages.

4. The file 'Special-files' contains details about special files created or
used by src2pkg and 'extra' files which may be needed by some packages or
for certain package formats.

5. The file 'CHANGES' contains summarized notes about the most important or
visible changes in src2pkg from one version to the next. The file 'ChangeLog'
contains a much more detailed record of all changes bewteen versions.

6. The file 'Usage' shows some details about using the various src2pkg options
 -especially the advanced options.

7. Each of the main tools included with src2pkg displays a help-page and
has a man-page which contains somewhat more information on syntax and usage.

8. There is a directory 'examples' in the documentation which contains example
build scripts which demonstrate both basic and advanced usage of *.src2pkg scripts.


Also, the authors' internet site at http://amigolinux.org has a repository which
includes over 1,000 programs and libraries with the source code, any extra files
and the src2pkg script used to build each one.

The author is always glad to answer email regarding src2pkg, but please try
to find the answer to any questions you have by reading the documentation first.
Questions, comments, suggestions or bug reports/fixes can be addressed to:
Gilbert Ashley <amigo@ibiblio.org>
Be sure to include the word 'src2pkg' in the subject line of the email to
ensure that your email is noticed and not filtered out by anti-spam software.

License:
src2pkg and all the tools included are released under the GPL license.
A copy is included in the src2pkg package.
