README - ESP Package Manager (EPM) 3.1
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WHAT IS EPM?
EPM is the software packaging tool that we now use at Easy
Software Products. It is a simple tool that generates
software and patch distributions in various formats,
including:
- AIX software packages ("installp")
- AT&T software packages ("pkgadd"), used by Solaris and others
- BSD packages ("pkg_create")
- Compaq Tru64 UNIX ("setld")
- Debian Package Manager ("dpkg")
- HP-UX software packages ("swinstall")
- IRIX software manager ("inst", "swmgr", or "tardist")
- Portable (installation and removal scripts with tar files)
- Red Hat Package Manager ("rpm")
EPM also includes a graphical "setup" program that can be
provided with your distributions to make installation of
more than one package a snap.
WHY ANOTHER SOFTWARE PACKAGING TOOL?
We developed EPM because we are tired of developing and
testing N different software distributions, each with their
own input files and setup requirements.
Also, when we started looking at selling software for Linux
we saw that there are at least four different "standard"
distribution formats, and none of them are compatible with
the other. Clearly we needed something that could be used
for all platforms, *without* requiring special software
packages on the customer's system!
HOW DO I COMPILE EPM?
See the file "INSTALL" for more info on that.
HOW DO I USE EPM?
Please look at the EPM manual; preformatted copies are
included in the "doc/epm-manual.html" and
"doc/epm-manual.pdf" files.
An example EPM software list file is provided with this
distribution in the file "epm.list".
DO I HAVE TO PAY TO DISTRIBUTE SOFTWARE USING EPM?
No! EPM is free software and any installations you create
are unencumbered by licensing of any kind (not even the
GPL.)
WHAT'S NEW IN EPM?
See the file "CHANGES" for change information.
REPORTING PROBLEMS
Report all problems and submit all patches to
"epm@easysw.com".
OTHER RESOURCES
Easy Software Products maintains a news server for the
discussion of ESP and ESP-sponsored software. The news
server is:
news.easysw.com
If you don't have NNTP access from your systems, point your
web browser at the following URL:
http://www.easysw.com/espnews.php
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE INFO
EPM is Copyright 1999-2001 by Easy Software Products, All Rights Reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU General Public License for more details.
