[Sugar-devel] [SWEETS] "Sweets" vs. "Sweets Distribution"

[Aleksey Lim]

Hi all!

Originally, the term "Sweets" meant a kind of Package Management System
that was working on top of Zero Install[1], i.e., software was
distributing using Zero Install mechanisms. The term "Sweets
Distribution" was relating to the same software, at least a part of it,
that was distributed using more regular way, native packages, i.e.,
"Sweets" compatible software projects can be turned into native packages
"for free".

The one problem with Zero Install is that it relies on the Internet
connectivity, that is the problem since not all Sugar community members
have Internet connection all time. After announcing the Sugar Network[2]
(the system to share content and be a social network), that is intended
to support offline people, it became natural to use Sugar Network to share
software instead of Zero Install.

So, "Sweets" project evolved to the Sugar Network for cases when
there is a need to easy share Sugar Activities within the Sugar
community. In this case, there is also Activities Library[3], but Sugar
Network will close work with ASLO.

Thus, the only meaning of "Sweets" is, for now, "Sweets Distribution",
i.e., repositories with native packages[4] to provide base software
(Sugar Network should handle all Sugar Activities, though, nothing
prevents including any Activities into Sweets Distribution based
downstreams).

The Glossary was tuned for that case:

    http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Glossary#Platform_Team

People who use "sweets" command line utility, might continue using it.
When Sugar Network was initially implemented, this utility will be
replaced by another one that will do the same work but using Sugar
Network.

Technically, Zero Install will be still in use but only as a library
to solve dependencies tree before launching software on Sugar Network
client side.


[1] http://0install.net/
[2] http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Network
[3] http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Activity_Library
[4] http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sweets_Distribution

-- 
Aleksey