The simplest package ever

From time to time I need to some tweaking of our packages and then I need a simple package that builds lightning-fast in order to test stuff.

This is the package I am using

https://build.opensuse.org/package/show/home:jordimassaguerpla:test/simple

Feel free to "fork" it.

installing a local build service on openSUSE 11

I recently installed a build service (http://en.opensuse.org/buildservice) on an openSUSE11 for demonstration purposes and here are my notes.

The build service is a GREAT tool in order to help you build packages for openSUSE but also for other distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, ... so if you are building your own software and would like to distribute it by providing installers for different linux, this may be your tool.

I'll talk about the internals another day, but today I'll talk about how to install it.

The easiest way is to go to http://download.opensuse.org and search for obs. You'll find a product call obs-server. Click on the one-click-install and everything will be done (adding the openSUSE:Tools repo and installing the different components.

Once you have done that, that was pretty easy, you open the file /usr/share/doc/packages/obs-api/README.setup and follow the instructions.

However, I came up with some problems so I am giving the following advice:

1- If you have problems with authentication or authorization on the database, and if your platform is for testing, just use the root mysql user with no password. Warning: never do that on production systems!!

2- If your firefox does not find your application, like happened to me, use virtual hosts. As this is only for demonstration, I edit the /etc/hosts and add:

127.0.42.1 obs

127.0.42.2 obs2

127.0.42.3 obs3

and then change the 127.0.42.* by the corresponding obs* name on

/etc/lighttpd/vhosts.d/obs.conf

/srv/www/obs/webclient/config/environments/production_slave.rb (IMPORTANT: this change is not on the README.setup and you have to do it. I sent a ticket to bugzilla.novell.com so they can add it to it, but until then, you have to remember that, or make a grep)

Adapt the README.setup instructions to use those virtual hosts.

After following the instrucions, you'll be able to login as admin (password opensuse).

You can create a new user from http://obs2 (login with the admin user).

Then, you can login as the new user and create a project and a package. I am attaching here a simple spec you can use to test the building process. One that not requires more than this spec. After that, add the openSUSE10.3 repository (or anyother suse) and press "trigger rebuild".

After that, the build should start. If you do not see any message, press the "update" icon on the build section.

And to end with this very fast introduction on setting up a build service on an openSUSE11, we can change the openSUSE logo by one of our choice by editing the file

/srv/www/obs/webclient/app/views/layouts/application2.rhtml

look for the geeko.jpg and replace that by your own logo.

#
# simple spec file for testing the build service
#

# norootforbuild

Name: simple
License: BSD 3-Clause
Group: System/Fhs
Version: 11.0
Release: 47.1
Summary: Simple rpm
BuildRoot: %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-build

%description
This package contains a simple file for testing the build service.

%prep

%build

%install
touch $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/simple

%files
%defattr(644,root,root,755)
/simple

LimeJeOS: The openSUSE based JeOS

A new project called Lime JeOS (LInux Minimal Edition Just enough Operating System) has been created at the openSUSE community.

Lime JeOS is a project meant to be the base for sofware appliances. Similar to Ubuntu JeOS but more powerful as it is build on the openBuildService.

LimeJeOS is part of a very ambitious project: cocktail.lin.cat .

Cocktail.lin.cat is a project for building software appliances on top of openSUSE. It uses LimeJeOS (pronounced like lime juice), Eis (Enterprise Information Software pronounced like Ice) and KIWI (The openSUSE imaging system) for building them.

So LimeJeOS is only the first step to make building software appliances in a very easy and powerful way based on openSUSE. Software appliances will be a must use and must know technology in the near future, as it has many benefits for ISVs and software companies.

no more comkat but openSUSE edu. Long life to openSUSE edu

The project comkat has been moved to openSUSE educational project.

The COMmunity repository for linKAT has been a project for those developers willing to collaborate to linkat, a linux distribution for the catalan schools run by the government. Comkat was run by individuals as volunteers.

When the comkat project started, there was no possibility to have an account for anybody at the open build service . That was one of the main reason to build an own repository where anybody could drop her rpms. Another reason was that it did not exist any specific project for education at openSUSE. Keep in mind that education projects should contain education software and that software should be for all ages.

However, things have changed. Anyone can get an open build service account, and right now there is a project, the openSUSE education project, that did not exist before.

These two points make the comkat project director (me) decided to move to the openSUSE education project (I am already a mantainer of the Education:Desktop and Education:Server subprojects at the BuildService), so we could join efforts and contribute to the openSUSE community.

So, long life to the openSUSE education project!

linkat logo done by Artur Tallada and Marià Cano.

Fosdem 2008 impressions

Just back from this great event that is fosdem, the most important event for community free software developers in Europe.

I have assisted to great talks and I am sure I have also missed some other great talks. Just to mention some:

on Sunday there were two very interesting talks about virtualization, one about Xen and the other one about VirtualBox
on Sunday there was a very interesting talk about kiwi, the system imaging creator for openSUSE isos, livecds and usb sticks. A must use technology for building custom distributions.
on Saturday there were very interesting talks about the build service, the openSUSE tool for building rpms and debs. A must use technology for building custom distributions, too.

Many thanks to the openSUSE people that let us present linkat and for their interest on the project, specially to Francis Giannaros.



Many thanks to the Fosdem organization, too, that make the 8th fosdem edition possible.

I've just uploaded the photos to my flickr account at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordimassaguerpla

You can see photos from the linkat presentation at (thanks toni!):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toniher/tags/fosdem2008/

build service de canonical

Canonical s'apunta també a la moda dels build services, és a dir, un servei on compilar els teus paquets per a la teva distro preferida. Canonical l'anomena el Personal Package Archive.

Un motiu més per pensar que el futur va cap aquí, si no veieu rPath i el seu rBuilder on-line, i opensuse i el seu OpenBuildService ( i ara també el Personal Package Archive de Canonical).

Molt interessant!

més info a: http://www.ubuntu.com/news/launchpad-ppa

a veure però quan ho fan gpl com els d'openSUSE!