From 38d191fa530e60b7afbb2eb405ef94e4dc2f20c3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Elara Musayelyan Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2022 21:28:17 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] Improve wording and add more information to the FAQ --- src/routes/+page.svelte | 22 +++++------ src/routes/faq/+page.svelte | 75 +++++++++++++++++++++++-------------- 2 files changed, 58 insertions(+), 39 deletions(-) diff --git a/src/routes/+page.svelte b/src/routes/+page.svelte index d68fd8e..4d757b7 100644 --- a/src/routes/+page.svelte +++ b/src/routes/+page.svelte @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@

LURE

-

The AUR missing from most Linux distributions

+

The user repo missing from most Linux distros

@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@

Why should I use it?

- LURE allows you to install your favorite software that may not be - popular enough to be placed into your distro's repos, while preserving - all the benefits of installing from repos, such as updates, easy - uninstalling, etc. It also allows developers to provide a single place - for their users to install their software. + LURE allows users to install software that may not be widely distributed + through official repositories, while still maintaining the convenience + of installation through repository sources. This includes features such + as updates and simple uninstallation. Additionally, LURE provides developers + with a central location for all their users to use to install their software.
@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@

How does it work?

- LURE works by abstracting package formats and package managers. It - builds native packages for your native package manager using AUR - PKGBUILD-like bash scripts, then installs them using that package manager. - This means that once LURE has successfully installed a package, it acts - just like any other package and can be managed without LURE. + LURE operates by abstracting package formats and package managers, enabling + the creation and installation of native packages automatically built from + PKGBUILD-like bash scripts, using the package manager already present on the system. + As a result, packages installed through LURE can be managed like any other package, + without the need for additional intervention from LURE for most operations.
diff --git a/src/routes/faq/+page.svelte b/src/routes/faq/+page.svelte index f7df6a8..b0ef76a 100644 --- a/src/routes/faq/+page.svelte +++ b/src/routes/faq/+page.svelte @@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ import Footer from "../footer.svelte"; + + FAQ | LURE Web + + +
@@ -10,45 +15,59 @@

Why isn't my distro supported?

- In order to support a distro, LURE has to be able to talk to its package manager - as well as build packages for it. Talking to the package manager is relatively simple, - LURE just needs to be told which commands to run, but the package formats are much more - complex. LURE uses nFPM to handle - package formats, and nFPM supports only deb, rpm, apk, - and archlinux package formats. When I started LURE, nFPM didn't have support for - archlinux packages, so I added it in a PR. Despite Arch having a very simple package format, it took - over 1k lines of code to implement, so supporting a distro with a different format, like - xbps for Void Linux, is very complicated, and may take some time. + To support a distribution, LURE must be able to communicate with its package manager and create packages for it. + Communicating with the package manager is relatively straightforward, as LURE simply needs to be provided with the necessary + commands. However, the package formats are more complex. LURE uses nFPM to + handle package formats, and nFPM currently supports only deb, rpm, apk, and archlinux package formats. When developing LURE, + support for archlinux packages was not available in nFPM, so I added it through a pull request. Despite the simplicity of the + archlinux package format, implementing support required over 1,000 lines of code. As a result, supporting a distribution with + a different package format, such as xbps for Void Linux, is very complex and time-consuming.

Why use LURE instead of Flatpak, Snap, or AppImage?

- LURE is not meant to solve the same problems as Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage. These are containerized - package formats that allow the creation of a single package that works on all distros. This cross-platform package - contains the program as well as everything else needed for that program to run. It works using - something called a container, which can create issues where programs are slow to start, don't follow - your system's settings, or can't access certain parts of your system. If you want most programs to work every - time, or you're running an old distro with old packages, you should use containzerized formats. - LURE, on the other hand, does not use containers. It builds the program from source automatically and - installs it. It also doesn't have its own package format. Instead, it uses the same one as the distro - it's running on, making LURE packages act the same way as your distro's packages. This means that - unlike Snap and Flatpak, LURE is not a package manager. It simply uses your distro's package manager, - which allows you to manage the packages installed by LURE even without it installed. + LURE is not intended to address the same issues as Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage. These are containerized package formats that enable + the creation of a single package that can be used on all distributions. This cross-platform package contains the program and everything + else necessary for it to run, and it relies on containers to achieve this compatibility. However, containers can sometimes cause programs + to start slowly, fail to adhere to system settings, or be unable to access certain parts of the system. If you need most programs to + function consistently or you are using an older distribution with outdated packages, containerized formats may be the best choice. In contrast, + LURE does not use containers. It builds the program from source and installs it automatically. It also does not have its own package format. + Instead, it uses the same format as the distribution it is running on, so LURE packages behave like the distribution's native packages. + This means that unlike Snap and Flatpak, LURE is not a package manager; it simply uses the distribution's package manager, allowing you to + manage the packages installed through LURE even when LURE is not installed.


- However, LURE also has some downsides. Because of the fact that it builds programs automatically from source, - certain packages, especially git packages that retrieve the latest code from git, may not work on older distros, - or distros like Debian which have old packages. Please consider your use case and whether such downsides are - acceptable before using LURE. Also note that, like the AUR, all packages are user-submitted and are not vetted, - so while unlikely, they may contain malicious code. It is the responsibility of the user to read the build script - and ensure this is not the case. Malicious packages should be reported by opening an issue on the git repo containing them. + However, LURE also has some drawbacks. Since it builds programs from source, certain packages, particularly git packages that + retrieve the latest code from git, may not work on older distributions or distributions like Debian that have outdated packages. + Please consider your specific needs and whether these downsides are acceptable before using LURE. Additionally, similar to the AUR, + all packages are user-submitted and not vetted, so while it is unlikely, they may contain malicious code. It is the responsibility + of the user to review the build script to ensure this is not the case. If you come across a malicious package, please report it by + opening an issue on the git repository containing it. +

+
+

How does LURE handle dependencies across distros?

+

+ LURE manages dependencies across distributions by offering distro overrides, in which package maintainers can specify different + variables and functions for each distribution. The most specific override is given precedence. After the overrides are resolved, + LURE compares the resulting list of dependencies with the packages installed on the system and filters out any that are already + installed. For the remaining dependencies, LURE checks its own repositories to see if each package is available there. If it is, + LURE installs it from its repositories. If the package is not found in any repository, LURE passes the dependency on to the package + manager, which handles dependency resolution and installation. +

+
+

How can one test a LURE package to ensure it works?

+

+ Docker is recommended for testing LURE packages on different distros. It provides a clean image of any distribution, which is very + useful for testing as it can help catch issues that might not manifest themselves on your system. Eventually, an automated + docker-based testing tool is planned, but in the meantime, this will need to be done manually for each distribution you're planning + to support. To find package names for each distribution, you can use repology.org and + pkgs.org. These websites maintain comprehensive databases of package repositories for various distributions.

How do I add my own package to LURE?

- Take a look at the documentation for Build Scripts - and Adding Packages to LURE's repo. + To add your own package, please refer to the package documentation provided by LURE.