[Gluster-devel] Proposal for some RPM packaging changes

[Niels de Vos]

Hi all,

there are currently some difficulties with the packaging (rpm) of 
glusterfs:

1. glusterfs-server (glusterd) and glusterfs-geo-replication depend on 
   each other. It is not possible to install glusterfs-server without 
   glusterfs-geo-replication, or the other way around.

2. Some translators that can not be enabled by default (through the 
   gluster cli) would like to be easily installed. Examples of these 
   xlators are Glupy and rot-13.

   Including these xlators in the main "glusterfs" package will 
   introduce new dependencies, including a full Python stack. There are 
   some environments where Python is not installed, and that is supposed 
   to stay that way (some cloud images for example).


The proposal to solve these issues is like:

1. Merge glusterfs-server and glusterfs-geo-replication into one 
   package: http://review.gluster.org/7013

2. Create a new sub-package that includes translators that are not easy 
   to use, introduce many dependencies, and whatnot. This new package 
   would include the Glupy and rot-13 xlators. Others can be added or 
   moved to this package pretty easily. Only users that want to use 
   Glupy will install glusterfs-extra-xlators with its dependency on 
   Python. Users that do not need these uncommon xlators do not need to 
   install this package.

   Examples for using these additional xlators, Python scripts, little 
   C applications (for the changelog xlator) would all be included in 
   the glusterfs-devel package.


Does this make sense to others? Please let us know if you agree with 
these changes, or give suggestions on how the packaging can be improved.

Thanks,
Niels