Debian package organization

[petrockblog]

I would like to describe ideas about a possible organization of the RetroPie components into several Debian packages.

First of all I would like to give an overview about the current organization of the components:

configs:
all
atari2600
cavestory
doom
fba
gamegear
gb
gbc
mame
mastersystem
megadrive
nes
pcengine
psx
snes

emulators:
advancemame-0.94.0
atari800-3.0.0
basiliskii
cpc4rpi-1.1
dgen-sdl
fbzx-2.10.0
gngeo-0.7
gngeo-pi-0.85
gpsp
jzintv-1.0-beta4
linapple-src_2a
mame4all-pi
mupen64plus-rpi
mupenBAK
osmose-0.8.1+rpi20121122
pifba
pisnes
RetroArch
rpix86
snes9x-rpi
uae4rpi
vice-2.3.dfsg
Wolf4SDL-1.7-src

emulatorcores:
fba-libretro
fceu-next
gambatte-libretro
Genesis-Plus-GX
imame4all-libretro
libretro-prboom
mednafen-pce-libretro
nxengine-libretro
pcsx_rearmed
picodrive
pocketsnes-libretro
stella-libretro

supplementary:
bcm2835-1.14
dispmanx
EmulationStation
ES-config
QtSixA-1.5.1
runcommand
sixpair
SNESDev-Rpi

The Question is how to organize the Debian packages. Would it be a good idea to follow the current organization which would then lead to the following list of packages?

• RetroPie-Configs
• RetroPie-Emulators
• RetroPie-RetroArchCores
• RetroPie-Supplementary

In addition, there could be a wrapper package that would install all packages from above.

What do you think?

[nstensen]

Hi!

I believe the software should be split into way smaller packages. Maybe one for the core system, then one package for each of the emulators etc. Then create RetroPie-Full/-Minimal bundle packages :) Much more bandwidth friendly. Why download everything if only one small emulator core has changed? Then create “wrapper” packages. ‘retropie-full’, ‘retropie-minimal’ etc.

[petrockblog]

I agree to the idea to have packages that contain individual components like single emulators, cores etc.

[roquen]

I agree, is it possible to merge all the binaries into /usr/bin or somewhere appropriate for the system?

I am a fan of the BSNES concept of an individual folder/package for each ROM that contains all of the stuff for that rom (screenshots, and everything)

I know this is a shift in emulation convention, so thats a tough one, but I like the /usr/bin idea for the system package management integration for upgrades.

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