> In that case, if the description can be directly generated by yum (and > yes, I just bought a book on python and learned the basic elements of > the language yesterday so I can write the agent directly in with the yum > package instead of in perl and separately. Sigh.) then it can become > part of the following command sequence: > > yum configuration > /etc/packagelist > > (generates the package list) > > yum configurate /etc/packagelist > > (or even just) > > yum configurate > > The configurate command could act like cruise control on a car -- > >>ADD<< any packages missing from packagelist and update the rest as > usual and >>REMOVE<< any packages that are intalled that aren't in the > list (or associated dependencies). This could be used to strictly > regulate "drift" from a kickstart image in a network environment; in > fact, if run against packagelist in a directory exported from a > configuration server or kept on a repository and indexed by e.g. > hostname, it could be used to trivially lock an entire network of > systems into a single package image. Want to add a package to all > hosts? Add it to their packagelist (symlinked to hostname on a toplevel > yum repository or NFS exported to the host) and wait overnight. > I think the idea is fine but this, like a lot of other things need to be added outside of yum, not in the core program. Otherwise the yum command ends up being yum [command] packages where command is one of 80 different options. I don't think that is good design and can you imagine that if statement? ;) I think the goals I need to work toward are a yum library that does the following and ONLY the following: - builds and parses the metadata classes into the repo lists - resolves dependencies - handy rpm-ish functions - builds pkg info for installed pkgs - exception class - separately a system for parsing the yum config file. so then people writing other apps that could: - slurp in the config file - get the pkg lists - output something or resolve deps on something. I think this would cover a lot of the meta-yum ideas that people are coming up with. I want this done for my own sanity too. It's just a matter of finding the time in my copious spare amounts. -sv