CPAN functionality for python - requirements

Bruce Sass bsass at freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
Tue Feb 27 17:37:21 EST 2001


I'm a little concerned about the privacy aspect of this...

> That decision is up to the client.  If the client has the smarts to turn
> a distutils package into an RPM, then the client would list it's preferred
> format as a distutils package and it would handle the rest.  If it can't,
> you can either select an RPM, or fall back to a distutils package.

Why should the client need to "list" anything.

client: what do you have?
server: this(deb,rh-5.rpm,rh-6.2.rpm,rh-7.rpm) that() other(hqx)
client: send me this(deb), that(mandrake.rpm), other()
server: sorry don't have that(mandrake.rpm)
client: send me that(deb)
server: sorry don't have that(deb)
client: send me that()

This is how I would handle a curious server...
client: what do you have?
server: what format do you want?
<click>

In other words... the server is just that - a server - it does not ask
questions, it does not keep track of any preferences, it serves up
files.

This could work...
client: only show me (deb) and ()
client: what do you have?
...

The server should NOT be usable as a tool to track Python users and
their habits, and making it do so should require a conscious effort on
the operators part (so there is no opportunity for the operator to
say, "I don't track you, that's just how the software works").


- Bruce





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