| Original author(s) | Pancrazio 'Ezio' de Mauro |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Felipe Sánchez |
| Stable release | 1.6.1 / November 1, 2006 |
| Platform | Unix-like |
| Type | Software management |
| License | GNU General Public License |
| Website | asic-linux |
Installwatch is a program designed to make it easier to catalog and maintain software installed from source code. Originally developed as a stand-alone project, Installwatch now exists primarily as a component of CheckInstall.
Installwatch was originally written by Pancrazio 'Ezio' de Mauro in 1998, but development was later taken over by Felipe Sánchez. [1]
Installwatch allows the user to monitor what files and directories are created during the installation of a software package in real-time. This allows the user to know exactly what has been installed on their system for the purposes of documentation and later removal of the software. [1]
When used on its own Installwatch is of limited usefulness, as it can only create a log of the installation process. Because of this, Felipe Sánchez created CheckInstall; which takes the information generated by Installwatch and uses it to create an installable package which can be used on any Linux distribution that makes use of Debian, Slackware, or Red Hat package management systems.
The use of CheckInstall has largely superseded that of Installwatch alone, and as such Installwatch has now been merged with the CheckInstall distribution. Older stand-alone versions of Installwatch still remain primarily for historical and educational purposes.
At present, the version of Installwatch packaged with CheckInstall is incompatible with the current version of the GNU coreutils (Core Utilities). Because of this, Installwatch can't monitor any changes made with the coreutils, rendering its logs incomplete. Depending on the software package, this may completely invalidate the information provided by Installwatch and thus any program that depends on it (such as CheckInstall).
This issue was documented in the Slackware 12 changelog, and prompted CheckInstall's removal from that distribution. [2] On August 3, 2007, the problem was further explained and detailed by Felipe Sánchez on the CheckInstall mailing list. [3]
An updated version of CheckInstall was never delivered to address the issue, and a workaround is suggested. [4]
A Linux distribution is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux kernel and often a package management system. They are often obtained from the website of each distribution, which are available for a wide variety of systems ranging from embedded devices and personal computers to servers and powerful supercomputers.
Slackware is a Linux distribution created by Patrick Volkerding in 1993. Originally based on Softlanding Linux System (SLS), Slackware has been the basis for many other Linux distributions, most notably the first versions of SUSE Linux distributions, and is the oldest distribution that is still maintained.
A package manager or package-management system is a collection of software tools that automates the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing computer programs for a computer in a consistent manner.
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Autopackage is a free computer package management system aimed at making it simple to create a package that can be installed on all Linux distributions, created by Mike Hearn around 2002.
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Software remastering is software development that recreates system software and applications while incorporating customizations, with the intent that it is copied and run elsewhere for "off-label" usage. The term comes from remastering in media production, where it is similarly distinguished from mere copying.
MCC Interim Linux is a Linux distribution first released in February 1992 by Owen Le Blanc of the Manchester Computing Centre (MCC), part of the University of Manchester. It was the first Linux distribution created for computer users who were not Unix experts and featured a menu-driven installer that installed both the kernel and a set of end-user and programming tools.
CheckInstall is a computer program for Unix-like operating systems which eases the installation and uninstallation of software compiled from source by making use of package management systems. After software compilation it can automatically generate a Slackware-, RPM-, or Debian-compatible package that can later be cleanly uninstalled through the appropriate package manager.
Wubi is a free software Ubuntu installer, that was the official Windows-based software, from 2008 until 2013, to install Ubuntu from within Windows, to a single file within an existing Windows partition.
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Salix OS is a multi-purpose Linux distribution based on Slackware.
Porteus is a portable operating system based on Slackware. It does not require installation and can be run from fixed and removable media, such as a USB flash drive or compact disc.
