[Rpm-metadata] files listings

[Jeff Johnson]

seth vidal wrote:

>Hi all,
> I was thinking about the listing of all the files in any rpm.
>
>I figured package-based entries and then the complete file lists, maybe
>marking directories with a type attribute.
>
>but how to uniquely id the packages - should we use the package
>checksum? or would nevra be sufficient, or maybe just the filename as it
>is listed in the metadata file.
>  
>

Header+payload md5 digest is unique but has the following drawbacks:
    a) id is too unique, the file lists will need to be regenerated each 
time the package is rebuilt.
    b) is rpm specific.

NEV (R and A if you must) changes about on the right time scale that 
file lists would not need to be
continually updated. But there will be some (minor) loss of information 
with files changing.

><package someidentifier attribute>
>  <file>/some/file/name</file>
>  <file type='dir'>/some/dir</file>
></package>
>  
>

Paths with type please.

>or we could do:
>
><package> someidentifier attribute>
>  <dirs>
>    <entry>/some/path</entry>
>    <entry>/some/other/path</entry>
>  </dirs>
>  <files>
>    <entry>/some/file</entry>
>    <entry>/some/other/file</entry>
>  </files>
></package>
>  
>

There are issues with directories that are created, but are not "owned", 
by a package that can/will
cause confusion.

73 de Jeff