Some EPEL thoughts (was Re: perl-Net-Telnet both in EPEL and RHEL)

Michael DeHaan mdehaan at redhat.com
Mon Aug 11 14:53:32 UTC 2008


>> 2.  Even competing with layered products seems bad.  If we would like
>> RHX to have the same packages as in EPEL but be able to buy support
>> for them, shouldn't RH do the same?  That way the software is
>> available to those who would like to preview it, use it with CentOS,
>> Scientific, etc.  I realize this contradictory to what EPEL started
>> with, but our goal should be software to everybody, at least that's
>> what I think.
>>
>>     
>
> I'm curious about the future of RHX as well.  Many of the groups in RHX
> have made a comittment to Open Source but that doesn't mean getting some
> of those packages playing well with the Fedora/EPEL model will be easy.
>   

I've strongly suggested RHX help ISVs get content into EPEL. I'm not 
sure what their plan is though.

With EPEL, any users benefit in having their software available in 
yum-installable ways, they get a free build system, and the software
is available to more than just RHEL. Plus, they have a community 
available to help them get their packages reviewed and in shape, and can
more closely track things that are going on in the distro.

Generally the ones that have the hardest times are ones that have done 
things like package their own versions of certain components, especially 
java apps where this is accepted practice (and this is a /bad/ practice 
and needs to change for all distributions). For the java folks, they 
should probably also join 
https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-devel-java-list so that they can 
talk among themselves to figure out packaging issues.

Definitely not a super-easy problem, but it's a good way to ensure we 
get good RPMs for them and the distribution channel has a lot of 
advantanges, "yum search" being a primary one. I think it's pretty easy 
to sell the advantages, we just have to get them interested in doing the 
work.

--Michael







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