On 1/11/2016 3:27 PM, Vernon Hamberg wrote:
You have hit on the strategy the IBM i open source team is using - since
5733-OPS is an official licensed product, they can and do distribute
fixes in a way that is familiar to IBM i folks - as you said, to "bless"
them. That is a stated strategy.
My experience with 5733-OPS has not been like my lifelong experience
with other IBM licensed program products. Option 2, Python, has modules
(IBM call them add-ons) that were delivered via separate PTF, but they
need a separate setup to get them installed.
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/wikis/home?lang=en#!/wiki/IBM%20i%20Technology%20Updates/page/Installing%20shipped%20add-ons
Specifically: installing the PTF does NOT NOT NOT install the modules:
'Note that if the add-on is updated via PTF, only the .egg file in the
/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/OPS/Python-pkgs path is updated. You must run
the easy_install3 command again to install the new package into your
environment'
Here's an example. The previous PTF for ibm_db for Python was
5733OPS-SI57253.
http://www-912.ibm.com/a_dir/as4ptf.nsf/a18db68aae4a7d81862566ba005d145c/c71518f92323e58c86257e740068a5dd?OpenDocument&Highlight=2,SI57253
Peeping at the Activation Instructions I see: None. Special
Instructions: None. Reading the cover letter does not give a hint that
one needs to use this to actually make it install: easy_install3
/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/OPS/Python-pkgs/ibm_db/ibm_db-*-py3.4-*.egg
That PTF has been superseded by SI58191.
http://www-912.ibm.com/a_dir/as4ptf.nsf/ALLPTFS/SI58191 Activation
Instructions: None. Special Instructions: None. Now, I've ordered and
installed that PTF. Do I need to run easy_install3 again? I don't
think so, because the file
/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/OPS/Python-pkgs/ibm_db/ibm_db-2.0.5.2-py3.4-os400-powerpc.egg
has a create date from October.
5733OPS option 3 is even more different. I deliberately say 'different'
rather than 'worse' because I'm not sure anything is broken here. But
it IS different. Option 3 does give me GCC, but it doesn't give me the
development environment. That comes from YiPS, delivered via a script
in the /QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/OPS/Python-pkgs/GCC As nearly as I can
tell, IBM is not doing anything except passing along the packaging
instructions. Support and the actual code seem to be coming from YiPS.
Which isn't a complaint: PHP support and code come from Zend.
But it is quite different to what I expected based on my experience with
especially RPG. It wasn't at all familiar to these old eyes.
My advice: Bookmark the developerWorks wiki pages.
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/wikis/home?lang=en#!/wiki/IBM%20i%20Technology%20Updates/page/Open%20Source%20Technologies
The nascent OPS community seems to be centred there.
midrange.com
