System for creating a customized software distribution based on user requirements

• US 20060265702A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Isaacson, Scott A., Wipfel, Robert, Anderson, Eric W.B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A customized distribution, e.g. of Linux software, is built using only packages that satisfy a customer'"'"'s individual requirements. The packages are verified, at build time, to be interoperable at run-time. Also, the distribution is verified to ensure all package dependencies are included. In cases where no package already exists that meets a user requirements, a new package can be created for this purpose. The packages in the distribution customized for the user can be tracked, so that as updates to the packages are released, the customer can be notified about those updates (without being notified about packages not in the customer'"'"'s customized distribution). Finally, once the distribution has been built for the user, it can then be offered as a general-purpose distribution for future customers.

Claims

1. A system for assembly of a customized software distribution to a user, comprising:

a set of available software packages;

a set of user software requirements; and

an assembler to assemble a distribution including a subset of the available software packages that satisfies the set of user software requirements, the subset including at least a first package and a second package and omitting a non-included package.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a database of package dependencies, a package dependency including the first package in the distribution that depends on a third package in the set of available software packages.

3. A system according to claim 2, further comprising an adder to add the third package to the distribution.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a validator to validate that the first package in the distribution and the second package in the distribution do not conflict at run-time.

5. A system according to claim 4, further comprising a database including information indicating that the first package and the second package that do not conflict at run-time.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a deliverer to deliver the distribution to the user.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an installer to install the distribution.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a notifier to notify the user of an update package for the distribution.

9. A system according to claim 8, further comprising a distributor to distribute the package update.

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising an installer to install the update.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of available software packages includes a set of available Linux packages.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the assembler includes means for selecting the subset of available software packages from the set of available software packages using the user software requirements.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of available software packages includes a set of available compiled software packages.

14. A method for generating a customized distribution of software packages for a user, comprising:

determining a set of available software packages;

determining a set of user software requirements; and

generating a distribution of a subset of the set of available software packages that satisfies the user software requirements, the subset including at least a first package and a second package and omitting a non-included package.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

identifying the first package that is included in the distribution; and

identifying a third package upon which the first package depends.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising adding the third package to the distribution.

17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising verifying that the first package in the distribution and the second package in the distribution do not conflict at run-time.

18. A method according to claim 14, further comprising delivering the distribution to the user.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein delivering the distribution includes delivering an ISO image.

20. A method according to claim 14, further comprising notifying the user of a package update for the distribution.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

distributing the package update; and

installing the package update.

22. A method according to claim 14, wherein determining a set of available software packages includes determining a set of available Linux packages.

23. A method according to claim 14, wherein generating a distribution of a subset of the set of available software packages includes selecting the subset of available software packages that satisfies the user software requirements.

24. A method according to claim 14, wherein determining a set of available software packages includes compiling the software packages to generate the set of available software packages.

25. An article, comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a machine, result in;

determining a set of available software packages;

determining a set of user software requirements; and

generating a distribution of a subset of the set of available software packages that satisfies the user software requirements, the subset including at least a first package and a second package and omitting a non-included package.

26. An article according to claim 25, wherein the storage medium has further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the machine result in:

identifying the first package that is included in the distribution; and

identifying a third package upon which the first package depends.

27. An article according to claim 25, wherein the storage medium has further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the machine result in verifying that the first package in the distribution and the second package in the distribution do not conflict at run-time.

28. An article according to claim 25, wherein the storage medium has further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the machine result in notifying the user of a package update for the distribution.

29. An article according to claim 28, wherein the storage medium has further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the machine result in:

distributing the package update; and

installing the package update.

30. An article according to claim 25, wherein determining a set of available software packages includes determining a set of available Linux packages.