AUTHOR: Dieter Scholz <dieter_scholz at gmx dot de>

DATE: 2003-09-17

LICENSE: GNU Free Documentation License Version 1.2

SYNOPSIS:	Package management with git

DESCRIPTION:
git (Guarded Installation Tool) is an easy to use, powerful package management
program. It helps you to keep track about what packages you've installed so far
and what files 'make install' added to your LFS system.

PREREQUISITES:
know how to handle an editor like vi, etc.

HINT:

Download:
---------

The git script was written by Ingo Brueckl and can be found at:

    http://home.wtal.de/ib/freisoft/

Be sure to check the LICENSE file. If you use git in a non-commercial way its
free, but it does not explicitly mention commercial usage. Please contact the
author, if you want to use it in a commercial environment.

Overview:
---------

Here is a small feature list of what you can expect:

- git is easy to use
- git creates uninstall scripts for every archive
- no additional software is necessary
- directories can be excluded from being watched
- git provides information about files installed more than once
- git shows the archive name for each registered file

If you start building a completly new system I recommend to use git right from
the beginning.

Preparation:
------------

After downloading the git archive manually copy the git script into /usr/sbin.

Open the git script in your favorite editor and adapt the configuration section
according to your needs (you probably want to add the /usr/src directory to the
IGNOREDIRS section).

All the directories (and their subdirs) in the WATCHDIRS variable are included
in the package management process. If you want to exclude subdirectories that
are part of the WATCHDIRS directories, you should put their names in the
IGNOREDIRS variable.

Now you are ready for package management.

Basic usage:
------------

Whenever you install a new package all you have to do is:

1.) Run the normal configure and/or make operations of the package:

    ./configure
    make

2.) Before you issue the 'make install' command:

    git <package name>
    make install
    git <package name>

3.) You now have 4 choices:

    f - create uninstall script
    s - shows state of installation
    q - quit
    r - revoke installation

4.) Look at uninstall script in configured viewer.

If you want to uninstall a package the only thing you have to do is to call the
uninstall script in the /var/state/git directory (perhaps it is a good idea to
xcheck dependencies before - see below).

Addional functionality:
-----------------------

1.) Find the corresponding archive(s) for a given file:

    git --find <path/file>

    returns: list of archives

2.) Crosscheck if files installed by an archive were installed more than once:

    git --xcheck <package name>

Tips:
-----

#1

Read the README file that comes with the git archive.

Misc:
-----

I heard the method git uses to keep track of installed files is not 100%
reliable. But I don't know, under what circumstances the program fails. Please
send me a note, if you have more information.

If you find any language or logical errors, please contact me directly (see
above).

To discuss package management please use the blfs.support group.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
  * Ingo Brueckl for writing git.

CHANGELOG:
[2002-04-26]
  * Hint ownership change. Original Author XXX YYY <xxx at yyy.zzz).
[2003-09-17]
  * Changed hint to new format. Made some minor adjustments.