[Mageia-dev] Mirror list for apps (LONG mail)

[Olivier Thauvin]

Hi,

I wrote an application to register mirrors which is currently here:
http://distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr/mageia-mirrors/

I hadn't the time to really check mirror brain, I just had a quick look,
so don't ask.

In all case the goal of my application is to allow everyone to register
a new mirror, and provide a list usuable by urpmi.

It is time to write the part of code responsible of the list build.
So come some questions.

First let me explain the current mandriva process:

1) At time we have an /etc/product.id given by
mandriva-release-Free-2011.0-0.1mdv2011.0
On my system it contains:
vendor=Mandriva,distribution=Mandriva Linux,type=Basic,version=2011.0,branch=Devel,release=1,arch=x86_64,product=Free


2) The base URL list is hardcoded in urpmi:
"https://api.mandriva.com/mirrors/$product_type.$product_version.$arch.list"
On my system the correct url is:
https://api.mandriva.com/mirrors/basic.cooker.x86_64.list

3) The list look like:
continent=EU,zone=DE,country=Germany,latitude=51.97,longitude=7.63,version=2011.0,arch=x86_64,type=distrib,url=rsync://ftp.join.uni-muenster.de/mandrakelinux/devel/2011.0/x86_64
continent=EU,zone=DE,country=Germany,latitude=51.97,longitude=7.63,version=2011.0,arch=x86_64,type=updates,url=rsync://ftp.join.uni-muenster.de/mandrakelinux/devel/2011.0/x86_64

So, question and my own POV about this:
1) /etc/product.id
  * I don't like this file, I think it is redundant with
    /etc/mandriva-release
  * Why "basic" and not "Free" since it is the "product" flag ? Dunno
  * Notice "cooker" does not appear in this file

2) The url
  * I suggest to use http://mirror.mageia.org/api/, other proposal
    welcome (need some review with sys admin)
  * Obviously the valid list version is 'cooker' not 2011
  * it is harcoded in urpmi

3) The content
  * tags seems be optional
  * mirror point to 2011 not cooker (a symlink at time)
  * I can produce same output as I have same information
  * Do we need specific line for update since now distribution include
    everything
  * Do we keep this format ?

Keeping this format is more simple, just changing the line specifiying
basis url in URPMI.
By changing the the format we can add features, make it clearer, etc...
But changing format to what ? XML ? YAML ? CSV ? something worst ? :)
Changes can done later.

At time, even made some criticisms, I do plan to redo exactly the same
things, first for compability issue (update from mdv to mga) and because
it will need only few changes in urpmi, making the thing easier.

Comments, Suggests ?

Regards.

-- 

Olivier Thauvin
CNRS  -  LATMOS
♖ ♘ ♗ ♕ ♔ ♗ ♘ ♖
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