sbodeps 1.2

Heretically convenient dependency resolver for sbopkg

When you're trying to install something like SpamAssassin and its 41 multi-layered dependencies, life is too short to bother with hunting down the dependencies manually. The slackbuilds.org repository includes all the information necessary to automate this in computer-readable form, but there is no convenient tool that utilises it.

sbopkg is a high-quality and mature tool that automates compilation and installation of slackbuilds.org packages, but out of respect for Slackware liturgy it forgoes resolving dependencies. So I wrote sbodeps, a companion utility for sbopkg that makes dependency resolution heretically fast and convenient without taking any control away from the administrator.

Requires

• A configured and working sbopkg installation. See http://www.sbopkg.org/ for more information.

Features

• Fast, on-the-fly dependency resolution. Unlike with /usr/doc/sbopkg-0.37.1/contrib/sqg, there is no need to store build queues in advance, although you can do.
• Given no options, sbodeps simply outputs the build queue for the specified package(s) to the terminal. Use output redirection or the -q option to store it wherever you want. Use the -Q option to store it in sbopkg's queues directory like sqg does, so you can use it with sbopkg's dialog interface.
• Unlike sqg, sbodeps skips dependencies that are already installed. Use the -a option to include them.
• To install or update packages and their dependencies, sbodeps does not need a stored build queue at all; instead, it will directly construct a command line for sbopkg that installs, in the correct order, the specified packages and all their dependencies that aren't already installed. (If -a is given, it will rebuild and reinstall even the already-installed ones.) Installing SpamAssassin and its 41 dependencies is as simple as saying sbodeps -i spamassassin.
• New in 1.1: Fast update checker: sbodeps -c is roughly 100 times as fast as sbopkg -c. Not only that, it will automatically add any new dependencies to the update queue. Installing all available updates (plus any new dependencies) is as simple as saying sbodeps -ci.
• New in 1.1: By default, non-SBo packages are not considered in dependency resolution or update checking, so that any non-SBo dependencies are replaced by SBo versions by default (to ensure compatibility), and any installed non-SBo packages are not considered by the update check. Adding the new -n option will cause sbodeps to consider installed non-SBo packages during dependency resolution or update checking.
• New in 1.2: The -r option now runs sbopkg -r to sync your repo. This means you can conveniently combine it with other sbodeps options, e.g. sbopkg -rci (sync, check, install).
• To remove a package and its installed slackbuilds.org dependencies, use the --remove option. Caution is advised; sbodeps will build and show a removepkg command and ask for confirmation before executing it.
• Shows a pointer to the package's README file if it has optional dependencies (meaning, if there is a %README% tag in the .info file).
• Does not require root just to show or store a build queue.
• Respectful towards the Slackware philosophy: it does not take any control away from the administrator, shows exactly what it will do before doing it, and changes nothing without express prior permission.
• Shamelessly heretical towards the Slackware philosophy: it might tempt someone to admit that automated dependency resolution can be awfully convenient. ;-)

Security considerations

As part of its strategy to achieve high performance, sbodeps directly sources sbopkg configuration files and .info files from the slackbuilds.org repository, treating the configuration and info entries as shell variables. These files should only contain variable assignments and comments. However, any other shell code found there would also be executed by bash, even rm -rf /. So, before you use sbodeps, make sure you trust that your configuration files and your local copy of the repository have not been tampered with.

(To be fair, the same applies to running sbopkg itself, or indeed any SlackBuild script; they could just as easily contain malicious shell code.)

Usage and options

Usage: sbodeps [OPTION...] [PACKAGENAME...]
Generate a sbopkg build queue for one or more packages or check for possible
updates to already-installed packages, resolving dependencies.
Options:
  -a, --all         include all dependencies, even those already installed
  -Q, --queue       store build queue in /var/lib/sbopkg/queues/PACKAGENAME.sqf
  -q FILE, --qfile=FILE, --queuefile=FILE
                    store build queue in FILE
  -i, --install     instead of storing build queue, install packages now
      --remove      remove a package and its dependencies (be careful!)
  -c, --check       add potential updates (and any new deps) to build queue
  -n, --nonrepo     consider non-SBo installed packages in dep.res./updates
  -r, --sync        sync the repo (run 'sbopkg -r') before doing anything else
  -v, --version     show version number
  -h, --help        show this help
  -L, --licen[sc]e  show license