[MiNT] EasyMiNT improvement proposal

[Standa Opichal <opichals@seznam.cz>]

Hi All!

Is there a possibility to install EasyMiNT using the .rpm packages from 
e.g. CD? It might be good to simply only make a list of packages to 
install for the supported installation types (base, standard, .. ) and 
than choose the source media. Just like it does e.g. debian linux. You 
choose the cd-rom drive is having the .rpm files and everything works just 
fine.

I came here with this suggestion because it is not that good to mirror the 
whole EasyMiNT pakette .tar files every time SpareMiNT .rpm changes.
There should be an option to choose the path where the .rpm file are 
placed. Moreover, is there any need to copy them all to the 
/usr/src/redhat/RPMS/... folder? I can understand it while using the .tar 
as a source (user should see the .rpm used - maybe... this might be 
optional IMHO), but I don't want to copy all the selected packages from 
the CD to the HDD during the installation.

My proposal: I'd make an abstraction level over the .rpm file access. This 
means that I can select the .tar file as the source "folder", or any 
actual folder in any place on the filesystem.
Than EasyMiNT could become a part of SpareMiNT distribution directly (in a 
form of e.g. zip, lha or .tgz file). One would only extract the archive 
put SpareMiNT CD into the drive and start it. There can also be a second 
CD with several .tar files with the .rpm packages just like it is now.
This CD would be assemable by a simple script based on the lists of .rpms 
belonging to the particular installation type.

If EasyMiNT would be script it would be something like this 
(only pseudo code):

if $USETAR then
  SRC='tar -xp \$RPMNAME -C '
else
  SRC='cp \$RPMNAME '
fi

foreach $RPMNAME in $RPMS
  $SRC /tmp
  rpm -i /tmp/$RPMNAME
  rm /tmp/$RPMNAME
endfor

Is this feasible and sensible? What are your opinions?

best regards

STan