Hi Bjorn,
talking about the DSDP-TM project: We're currently part of
the JEE
package, but not any other package. A big deal of our users
come
from the C/C++/Embedded camp so they would be starting off
with
the C/C++ package - which doesn't have TM (or DD) built
in.
Other Eclipse add-ons such as Subversive, or ECF are in a
similar
situation. And then their are all the users who want to
create their
own Flavor of Eclipse by, say, starting off with the C/C++
package
but mixing in some Web/XML Editing stuff (which would
otherwise
be in another package).
Summing up, the packages are nice to start with, but they
don't
by any means replace the Ganymede Site as the
one-stop-shop
for a user-defined mix of downloads that's all nicely
integrated.
Answering to your challenging questions, with DSDP-TM as
a concrete example:
-
The TM update site is *not* built into the starting off
package.
-
So, end users need to find the project-specific update site(s) for any
add-ons. Multiply the effort of finding a proper update or download site,
and proper version, by the number of mix-ins desired (DSDP-TM + DSDP-DD +
XML Editor + Subversive -- just naming the stuff that *I* usually get). You
cannot ask people go to the project specific
sites.
-
For adopters, it's just the same. Ganymede is the necessary
one-stop-shop for an initial install. You don't need to care about future
updates because once you've got the initial install, you'll get future updates
from the built-in project-specific sites.
-
I don't see why I should maintain different feature.xml's? They're all
the same for me, no problem here. And maintaining multiple site.xml's -- well
it's done all automagically by the releng scripts so why should I
care.
From my point of view, all the questions posted are moot
and I'm
very much in favor of keeping the Ganymede site until
we'll
(quite definitely) have a yet better initial installer
based on P2.
Cheers,
--
Martin Oberhuber, Senior Member of Technical
Staff, Wind River
Target Management Project
Lead, DSDP PMC Member
Ganymede Project Leads,
Let me open a can of worms and publicly
ask why we have the Ganymede Update Site.
It seems to me that:
- For users, we have the Ganymede packages (http://phoenix.eclipse.org/packages/)
- If we have packages, why have a separate update site? The
packages have all the update sites built in (via the feature.xmls).
- And if someone wants to add new functionality to their existing
Eclipse, they will go to the project specific update site and get the
latest bits.
- For adopters, we have the project downloads and update sites - why
should we have a second update site for these?
- In fact, having a second update site just makes things more
complicated because then "where do I get future updates? do I get them
from the central update site or from the project update site? and why are
there so many similar update sites listed in my Eclipse?"
- More complicated for project teams too, because then they have to
maintain different site.xmls, feature.xmls, etc.
The
original reason for the unified update site was because it was confusing for
users to have to go here and go there and go the other place to put together a
package. But now that we have packages, why do we need the unified update
site? It seems to be extra hassle and complexity for everyone at no net
benefit to anyone.
Comments? Opinions?
- Bjorn
--
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