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Fix old descriptions of Stow (#22)

Browse source 
De-emphasise the package management aspects, since these days
almost everyone prefers to use modern package managers such as
rpm / dpkg / Nix for (system-wide) package management.

Also include more popular modern use cases for Stow such as management
of dotfiles and software compiled in the user's $HOME directory.

Fixes #22: https://github.com/aspiers/stow/issues/22
This commit is contained in:
Adam Spiers 2016-11-21 14:56:26 +00:00
parent a70c60e888
commit 72ef83cebd
4 changed files with 112 additions and 62 deletions
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55
README.md
View file

@ -4,19 +4,54 @@
README for GNU Stow
===================
This is GNU Stow, a symlink farm manager program which takes distinct
packages of software and/or data located in separate directories on
the filesystem, and makes them appear to be installed in the same
place. For example, `/usr/local/bin` could contain symlinks to files
within `/usr/local/stow/emacs/bin`, `/usr/local/stow/perl/bin` etc., and
This README describes GNU Stow. This is not the definitive
documentation for Stow; for that, see the [info
manual](https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/manual/).
Stow is a symlink farm manager program which takes distinct sets
of software and/or data located in separate directories on the
filesystem, and makes them all appear to be installed in a single
directory tree.
Originally Stow was born to address the need to administer, upgrade,
install, and remove files in independent software packages without
confusing them with other files sharing the same file system space.
For instance, many years ago it used to be common to compile programs
such as Perl and Emacs from source and install them in `/usr/local`.
By using Stow, `/usr/local/bin` could contain symlinks to files within
`/usr/local/stow/emacs/bin`, `/usr/local/stow/perl/bin` etc., and
likewise recursively for any other subdirectories such as `.../share`,
`.../man`, and so on.
This is particularly useful for keeping track of system-wide and
per-user installations of software built from source, but can also
facilitate a more controlled approach to management of configuration
files in the user's home directory, especially when coupled with
version control systems.
While this is useful for keeping track of system-wide and per-user
installations of software built from source, in more recent times
software packages are often managed by more sophisticated package
management software such as
[`rpm`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rpm_(software)),
[`dpkg`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dpkg), and
[Nix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nix_package_manager) / [GNU
Guix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Guix), or language-native
package managers such as Ruby's
[`gem`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RubyGems), Python's
[`pip`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pip_(package_manager)),
Javascript's [`npm`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Npm_(software)),
and so on.
However Stow is still used not only for software package management,
but also for other purposes, such as facilitating [a more controlled
approach to management of configuration files in the user's home
directory](http://brandon.invergo.net/news/2012-05-26-using-gnu-stow-to-manage-your-dotfiles.html),
especially when [coupled with version control
systems](http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-stow/2011-12/msg00000.html).
Stow was inspired by Carnegie Mellon's Depot program, but is
substantially simpler and safer. Whereas Depot required database files
to keep things in sync, Stow stores no extra state between runs, so
there's no danger (as there was in Depot) of mangling directories when
file hierarchies don't match the database. Also unlike Depot, Stow will
never delete any files, directories, or links that appear in a Stow
directory (e.g., `/usr/local/stow/emacs`), so it's always possible
to rebuild the target tree (e.g., `/usr/local`).
Stow is implemented as a combination of a Perl script providing a CLI
interface, and a backend Perl module which does most of the work.

58
bin/stow.in
View file

@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
#!@PERL@
# GNU Stow - manage the installation of multiple software packages
# GNU Stow - manage farms of symbolic links
# Copyright (C) 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 by Bob Glickstein
# Copyright (C) 2000, 2001 Guillaume Morin
# Copyright (C) 2007 Kahlil Hodgson
@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
=head1 NAME
stow - software package installation manager
stow - manage farms of symbolic links
=head1 SYNOPSIS
@ -29,33 +29,34 @@ stow [ options ] package ...
=head1 DESCRIPTION
This manual page describes GNU Stow @VERSION@, a program for managing
the installation of software packages. This is not the definitive
documentation for stow; for that, see the info manual.
This manual page describes GNU Stow @VERSION@. This is not the
definitive documentation for Stow; for that, see the accompanying info
manual, e.g. by typing C<info stow>.
Stow is a tool for managing the installation of multiple software
packages in the same run-time directory tree. One historical
difficulty of this task has been the need to administer, upgrade,
install, and remove files in independent packages without confusing
them with other files sharing the same filesystem space. For instance,
it is common to install Perl and Emacs in F</usr/local>. When one
does so, one winds up (as of Perl 4.036 and Emacs 19.22) with the
following files in F</usr/local/man/man1>: F<a2p.1>; F<ctags.1>;
F<emacs.1>; F<etags.1>; F<h2ph.1>; F<perl.1>; and F<s2p.1>. Now
suppose it's time to uninstall Perl. Which man pages get removed?
Obviously F<perl.1> is one of them, but it should not be the
administrator's responsibility to memorize the ownership of individual
files by separate packages.
Stow is a symlink farm manager which takes distinct sets of software
and/or data located in separate directories on the filesystem, and
makes them all appear to be installed in a single directory tree.
The approach used by Stow is to install each package into its own
tree, then use symbolic links to make it appear as though the files
are installed in the common tree. Administration can be performed in
the package's private tree in isolation from clutter from other
packages. Stow can then be used to update the symbolic links. The
structure of each private tree should reflect the desired structure in
the common tree; i.e. (in the typical case) there should be a F<bin>
directory containing executables, a F<man/man1> directory containing
section 1 man pages, and so on.
Originally Stow was born to address the need to administer, upgrade,
install, and remove files in independent software packages without
confusing them with other files sharing the same file system space.
For instance, many years ago it used to be common to compile programs
such as Perl and Emacs from source. By using Stow, F</usr/local/bin>
could contain symlinks to files within F</usr/local/stow/emacs/bin>,
F</usr/local/stow/perl/bin> etc., and likewise recursively for any
other subdirectories such as F<.../share>, F<.../man>, and so on.
While this is useful for keeping track of system-wide and per-user
installations of software built from source, in more recent times
software packages are often managed by more sophisticated package
management software such as rpm, dpkg, and Nix / GNU Guix, or
language-native package managers such as Ruby's gem, Python's pip,
Javascript's npm, and so on.
However Stow is still used not only for software package management,
but also for other purposes, such as facilitating a more controlled
approach to management of configuration files in the user's home
directory, especially when coupled with version control systems.
Stow was inspired by Carnegie Mellon's Depot program, but is
substantially simpler and safer. Whereas Depot required database files
@ -66,6 +67,9 @@ will never delete any files, directories, or links that appear in a
Stow directory (e.g., F</usr/local/stow/emacs>), so it's always
possible to rebuild the target tree (e.g., F</usr/local>).
Stow is implemented as a combination of a Perl script providing a CLI
interface, and a backend Perl module which does most of the work.
=head1 TERMINOLOGY
A "package" is a related collection of files and directories that

59
doc/stow.texi
View file

@ -15,8 +15,7 @@
@copying
This manual describes GNU Stow version @value{VERSION}
(@value{UPDATED}), a program for managing the installation of software
packages.
(@value{UPDATED}), a program for managing farms of symbolic links.
Software and documentation is copyrighted by the following:
@ -82,10 +81,9 @@ approved by the Free Software Foundation.
@ifinfo
This manual describes GNU Stow @value{VERSION} (@value{UPDATED}), a
program for managing sets of symbolic links, in order to make groups
of related files (such as distinct packages of software, or
configuration files) in one place in the filesystem appear to be
located in another place.
symlink farm manager which takes distinct sets of software and/or data
located in separate directories on the filesystem, and makes them
appear to be installed in a single directory tree.
@end ifinfo
@end ifnottex
@ -131,19 +129,20 @@ Advice on changing compilation and installation parameters
@node Introduction, Terminology, Top, Top
@chapter Introduction
Stow is a tool for managing sets of symbolic links in order to
facilitate the installation of multiple software packages, or other
groups of related files, such as configuration files, into a single
GNU Stow is a symlink farm manager which takes distinct sets of
software and/or data located in separate directories on the
filesystem, and makes them all appear to be installed in a single
directory tree.
Originally Stow was born to address the need to administer, upgrade,
install, and remove files in independent software packages without
confusing them with other files sharing the same file system space.
For instance, it used to be common to compile Perl and Emacs from
source and install them in @file{/usr/local}. When one does so, one
winds up with the following files@footnote{As of Perl 4.036 and Emacs
19.22. These are now ancient releases but the example still holds
valid.} in @file{/usr/local/man/man1}:
For instance, many years ago it used to be common to compile programs
such as Perl and Emacs from source and install them in
@file{/usr/local}. When one does so, one winds up with the following
files@footnote{As of Perl 4.036 and Emacs 19.22. These are now
ancient releases but the example still holds valid.} in
@file{/usr/local/man/man1}:
@example
a2p.1
@ -171,11 +170,20 @@ tree; i.e. (in the typical case) there should be a @file{bin} directory
containing executables, a @file{man/man1} directory containing section 1
man pages, and so on.
In more recent times, software packages are often managed by more
sophisticated package management software such as
While this is useful for keeping track of system-wide and per-user
installations of software built from source, in more recent times
software packages are often managed by more sophisticated package
management software such as
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rpm_(software), @command{rpm}},
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dpkg, @command{dpkg}}, and
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nix_package_manager, Nix}.
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nix_package_manager, Nix} /
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Guix, GNU Guix}, or
language-native package managers such as
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RubyGems, Ruby's @command{gem}},
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pip_(package_manager), Python's
@command{pip}}, @uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Npm_(software),
Javascript's @command{npm}}, and so on.
However Stow is still used not only for software package management,
but also for other purposes, such as facilitating a more controlled
approach to management of configuration files in the user's home
@ -184,13 +192,16 @@ especially when coupled with version control
systems@footnote{@uref{http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-stow/2011-12/msg00000.html}}.
Stow was inspired by Carnegie Mellon's Depot program, but is
substantially simpler and safer. Whereas Depot required database files
to keep things in sync, Stow stores no extra state between runs, so
there's no danger (as there was in Depot) of mangling directories when
file hierarchies don't match the database. Also unlike Depot, Stow will
never delete any files, directories, or links that appear in a Stow
directory (e.g., @file{/usr/local/stow/emacs}), so it's always possible
to rebuild the target tree (e.g., @file{/usr/local}).
substantially simpler and safer. Whereas Depot required database
files to keep things in sync, Stow stores no extra state between runs,
so there's no danger (as there was in Depot) of mangling directories
when file hierarchies don't match the database. Also unlike Depot,
Stow will never delete any files, directories, or links that appear in
a Stow directory (e.g., @file{/usr/local/stow/emacs}), so it's always
possible to rebuild the target tree (e.g., @file{/usr/local}).
Stow is implemented as a combination of a Perl script providing a CLI
interface, and a backend Perl module which does most of the work.
For information about the latest version of Stow, you can refer to
@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/stow/}.

2
lib/Stow.pm.in
View file

@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ package Stow;
=head1 NAME
Stow - manage the installation of multiple software packages
Stow - manage farms of symbolic links
=head1 SYNOPSIS