I'm looking for some best practices when it comes to developing binary packages for various OS target platforms. I'm aware this is a broad topic, so I'm open to any clarifications you might have. Specifically, I'm interested in recommendations for solutions—like libraries, frameworks, project templates, and build tools—that can help me structure a project as follows:
1. `lib_package_name.package_manager_format`
2. `package_name_cli.package_manager_format` which depends on the `lib` package
3. `package_name_gui.package_manager_format` which also depends on the `lib` package
4. `package_name_api_server.package_manager_format` again depending on the `lib` package
Moreover, I'm curious what it would take to implement this kind of build process, and what tools can simplify things like auto versioning, auto build naming, package metadata management, and more. I understand the specifics can vary based on programming languages and frameworks chosen, but based on your experience, what setups have proven to be the most effective?
2 Answers
For Linux, using native package building tools is highly effective. These tools are well-structured, letting you tailor them to your needs. You might want to look into options like clean-room builds and git conventions. There are also build servers for generating deb or rpm packages, and there are various tools available for different platforms. Templating packages is a straightforward process with these tools, allowing you to generate control files efficiently.
If you're diving into programming languages, consider Rust with Cargo workspaces or Python with Poetry. Both are great for shared libraries, support auto versioning, and make packaging easy. Rust tends to be stricter and faster, while Python offers more flexibility.
That sounds intriguing! Can you point me to specific tools that do this? I'd like to explore more.