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<title>swim - MAKING NOT-INSTALLED DATABASES
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<link rev=made href="mailto:mttrader@access.mountain.net">
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<h1>
swim - chapter 7<br>
MAKING NOT-INSTALLED DATABASES
</h1>
<pre>
usage: swim --initndb
swim --ndb
swim --rebuildndb
options: [--Contents <target|FDBtarget|DF|FDBDF>]
[--main] [--contrib] [--non-free] [--non-us]
[--arch <architecture>] [--dists <distribution>]
[--dbpath <dir>] [--root <dir>] [--alt]
[--split_data <lines>] [-v] [--cron]
[targets|APT|DF]
</pre>
<P>
<hr>
<h2><A name="s7.1">
7.1 OVERVIEW
</A></h2>
The <strong>not-installed database</strong> provides swim with many capabilities like the searching, and querying of
packages which do not actually exist on the live filesystem, as well as the
ability to seamlessly install packages while searching or quering, or the
ability to fetch the packages source code. The <em>virtual filesystem</em> is optional, but it is highly recommended. These two major mode options set
up these databases, after determining the level of interaction which you
want.
<P>
Whenever <strong>swim</strong> makes databases it thinks only in terms of
one distribution and one architecture. This keeps things logical.
<strong>swim</strong> does have the ability to take Packages files with
multiple architectures, and distributions, and to extract information for
one distribution and one archictecture to make its databases. This could
provide interesting information from dumps from <strong>apt</strong>
(<code>apt-cache dumpavail</code>).
<P>
<strong>--initndb</strong> creates the initial not-installed databases for
a particular architecture and distribution, and
<strong>--rebuildndb</strong> remakes the not-installed databases for that
same architecure and distribution. If not otherwise specified
<strong>swim</strong> <em>will use the values</em> it finds in
<em>swimrc</em> to determine what architecture and distribution you want
to use to make <strong>swim's</strong> databases. Otherwise...
<hr>
<h2><A name="s7.2">
7.2 OPTIONS
</A></h2>
<strong>--arch</strong> allows an argument to override the
<strong>architecture</strong> found in <em>swimrc</em>.
<P>
<strong>--dists</strong> allows an argument to override the
<strong>distribution</strong> found in <em>swimrc</em>.
<P>
<strong>--alt</strong> is used for a distribution with a Debian archival
structure, but which has a different name. This allows for alternative
distributions.
<P>
When <strong>APT</strong> or <strong>DF</strong> are provided as arguments
(see below), by default the <em>Packages</em> which pertain to the
sections found in <em>swimrc</em> will be shown. If you only want certain
sections you may specify them on the command line. If you are not using
<strong>APT</strong> or <strong>DF</strong>, it is a good idea to make
sure that either the sections found in <em>swimrc</em> or the sections you
put on the command line match the <em>Packages</em> you a targetting
because this is much more effecient.
<P>
<strong>--main</strong> will override the sections found in
<em>swimrc</em>, and will use this section.
<P>
<strong>--contrib</strong> will override the sections found in
<em>swimrc</em>, and will use this section
<P>
<strong>--non-free</strong> will override the sections found in
<em>swimrc</em>, and will use this section
<P>
<strong>--non-us</strong> will override the sections found in
<em>swimrc</em>, and will use this section
<P>
Global arguments <strong>targets|APT|DF</strong> must be used with either
of these two major modes to find the <em>Packages</em> databases. targets
can be a full path to one or a set of <em>Packages</em>.
<strong>APT</strong> will use the <em>Packages</em> found in
<em>/var/state/apt/lists</em>, and <strong>DF</strong> will use the
Packages found in the default directory for <strong>swim</strong> (see
<code>--ftp</code>). If you use either <strong>APT</strong> or
<strong>DF</strong> you will be given an <strong>interface</strong> which
allows you to choose one <em>Packages</em> database for each section you
would like to use from the various sites. This <strong>interface</strong>
shows the <strong>site</strong>, <strong>date</strong>,
<strong>size</strong> and <strong>Release version</strong> for each
<em>Packages</em>.
<P>
<strong>--cron</strong> allows you to override the
<strong>interface</strong> produced when <strong>APT</strong> or
<strong>DF</strong> is provided as an argument. This is useful if you want
to automate the database making process. <strong>--cron</strong> will
choose the newest <code>database(s),</code> if cron notices that the Release
version has changed, cron will not proceed, but will provide a warning
instead. This allows you to make the appropriate changes and choices.
<P>
<strong>--Contents</strong> can be give one of four arguments:
<P>
<strong>1).</strong> If you have a <em>Contents-(architecture)</em>
database in a target location you know about you may provide a path to the
location. The <em>Contents</em> database can be compressed.
<P>
<strong>2).</strong> If you prepend the path with the letters
<strong>FDB</strong> (meaning flat database) when the databases for swim
are made, instead of using the Contents database to make:
<pre>
nfileindex-arch-dists.deb
nsearchindex-arch-dists.deb
ndirindex-arch-dists.deb</pre>
<P>
Only the <em>ncontentsindex-arch-dists.deb.gz</em> database will be made
which allows the ability to view file/dir listing for not-installed
packages, but does not provide the virtual file system or powersearch
capabilities which the other databases would have provided.
<P>
<strong>3).</strong> The argument <strong>DF</strong> may be used if you
have used <strong>--ftp</strong> with the <strong>DF</strong> argument to
the option <strong>--Contents</strong> (see <code>--ftp</code>). In this case
it is assumed you are also using global arguments <strong>DF</strong> or
<strong>APT</strong> for the Packages databases. This will give you an
<strong>interface</strong> (if --cron isn't used) allowing you to choose
one <em>Contents</em> database for the particular distribution you want to
make the databases for.
<P>
<strong>4).</strong> <strong>FDB</strong> does the same exact thing with
<strong>DF</strong> as it does with the before mentioned
<strong>FDBtarget</strong>, and provides the <strong>interface</strong>.
<P>
<strong>-v</strong> will only work if you have dpkg installed. It allows
swim to verify <strong>swim's</strong> own built-in version comparison
function with <strong>dpkg's version comparison function</strong>. This is
good for debugging purposes, and produces a report called
<em>.version_compare</em> in the same location that
<strong>swim's</strong> databases are made.
<P>
<strong>--split_data</strong> is only advantageous if
<strong>--Contents</strong> is being used. See <strong>--initdb</strong>
for more information about the <strong>--split_data</strong> option.
<P>
See <A href="ch-makinginst.html#s-initdb">Initial database making, and Rebuilding for an
Installed system.
, section 5.1</A> for options <code>--dbpath</code> and <code>--root</code>.
<hr>
<h2><A name="s7.3">
7.3 UPDATING
</A></h2>
<code>--ndb</code> has the same options as --initndb and --rebuildndb except
for --split_data. It also has a new option <code>--nue</code> which will
never have to be used unless the experimental distribution or non-us
section are found in Contents (which presently isn't the case).
<code>--check</code> prints out the changes to STDERR, and the total to STDOUT
without proceeding with the update. <code>--status_only</code> can be used
after a new package has been installed to update the status, after which
-qni and -qi will correlate properly.
<hr>
<h2><A name="s7.4">
7.4 REBUILDING THE SEARCH
</A></h2>
<code>--rebuildflatndb</code> serves the same purpose as --rebuildflatdb. See
<A href="ch-makinginst.html#s-searchy">REBUILDING THE SEARCH
, section 5.3</A>
<hr>
<h2><A name="s7.5">
7.5 FILES
</A></h2>
Databases and reports which are made (arch = architecture dists =
distribution):
<P>
<pre>
npackages-arch-dists.deb
nfileindex-arch-dists.deb requires <--Contents>
nstatusindex-arch-dists.deb
ngroupindex-arch-dists.deb
nsearchindex-arch-dists.deb
ndirindex-arch-dists.deb
.packagesdiff-arch-dists.deb requires <--Contents></pre>
<P>
<hr>
swim
- <A href="index.html#copyright">
Copyright � 1999 Jonathan D. Rosenbaum
</A>
<br>
<A href="index.html#toc">Contents</A>; <A href="ch-aptprep.html">next</A>; <A href="ch-important.html">back</A>.
<br>
<address>15 June 1999<br>
Jonathan D. Rosenbaum<A href="mailto:mttrader@access.mountain.net">mttrader@access.mountain.net</A></address>
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