Cross-platform software package generation

• US 20080127088A1
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwan, Nang Kon, Harmsen, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A method and apparatus for cross-platform generation of new software packages. The method may include generating a list of software packages having a first format associated with a first operating system, generating new support files for entries on the list, and generating new software packages from the new support files and code of corresponding software packages. The new software packages are generated in the format associated with a second operating system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

generating a list of software packages having a first format associated with a first operating system; and

for each software package in the list, automatically generating one or more support files, and automatically combining the support files and code of a corresponding software package to generate a new software package in a second format associated with a second operating system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically renaming software packages and their contents according to the second format associated with the second operating system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein support files are generated and are combined with the code without user interaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of software packages is generated on the first operating system and the new software packages are generated on the second operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating support files and combining support files with code comprises:

identifying a staging area;

copying the list to the staging area; and

copying each software package in the list that includes architecture independent code to the staging area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating support files and combining support files with code comprises:

accessing the software packages with a software access tool; and

packaging the new software packages with a software packaging tool.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a translation file; and

using the translation file to facilitate the automatic generation of support files.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

for each software package in the list that includes architecture independent code, generating a dependency support file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a list of software packages comprises:

accessing each software package to collect information; and

including the collected information in the list.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the collected information includes at least one of a package name, a package description, a package version number, a package release number, and a package vendor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is included in a text file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the software packages comprise at least one of java byte code, source code, perl scripts, shell scripts, XML and text files.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each software package, identifying a time stamp associated with the software package; and

generating the list of software packages from software packages associated with particular time stamps.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first operating system is a Linux operating system; and

the first format is an RPM package format.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second operating system is a Solaris operating system; and

the second format is a datastream package format.

16. A machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

generating a list of software packages having a first format associated with a first operating system; and

for each software package in the list, automatically generating one or more support files, and automatically combining the support files and code of a corresponding software package to generate a new software package in a second format associated with a second operating system.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein support files are generated and are combined with the code without user interaction.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein generating support files and combining support files with code comprises:

identifying a staging area;

copying the list to the staging area; and

copying each software package in the list that includes architecture independent code to the staging area.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a translation file; and

using the translation file to facilitate the automatic generation of support files.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein:

the first operating system is a Linux operating system;

the first format is an RPM package format;

the second operating system is a Solaris operating system; and

the second format is a datastream package format.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a first conversion module to generate a list of software packages having a first format associated with a first operating system; and

a second conversion module to generate, for each software package in the list, one or more support files, and to combine the support files and code of corresponding software packages to generate new software packages in a second format associated with a second operating system.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a staging area, on which to place a copy of the list and a copy of each software package in the list that includes architecture independent code.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a software access tool to access the software packages; and

a software packaging tool to package the new software.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further compromising:

a translation file used to generate a dependency support file for each software package in the list.