There should be a single file zip rule

[aiuto]

To build some items like a Unix manual page, we want to simply gzip a file. That is, the source is "myprog.1" and the rule should generate "myprog.1.gz". Some ideas:

• a rule with a single src and out
• an attribute on pkg_files to specify zipping each
• a variation of pkg_zip that does many inputs with many outputs, producing a PackageFilesInfo
  There are obvious tradeoffs w.r.t. actions to compress first and sending compressed files to the final package maker vs. just sending the files to the package maker and having it do it.

[mzeren-vmw]

Since this is about "final layout of files", perhaps this functionality should be a per-file option in "pkg_install" ?

[aiuto]

I think that's an additional place where it has to work. If we are installing direct from the workspace maybe it's a single rule.

pkg_install(... srcs=[foo.1], dest=/usr/man/man1, compress=gz)

but maybe pkg_install works just like pkg_rpm and points to a set of srcs that know where they go in the system tree.

pkg_files(name='manpages', srcs=[foo.1], prefix='/usr/man/man1', compress=gz)
pkg_install(..., srcs=[manpages, bins, ...], prefix=/tmp/fakeroot)

[nacl]

Hm. The idea of integrating it with pkg_files is appealing -- compression could even occur via a macro. A pkg_compress rule (the pkg_zip "variant" mentioned) sounds interesting as well.

We actually have a similar problem with regards to template expansion. Providing a single expand_template rule (e.g. bazelbuild/bazel-skylib#191) for each and every one proved messy, so they were collapsed into a macro.

I haven't thought about this too much, but any of the options specified would be nice to have, or use as building blocks.

Since this is about "final layout of files", perhaps this functionality should be a per-file option in "pkg_install" ?

Perhaps, but fine-grained file controls better belong in pkg_files and friends, rather than in a specific packaging rule. pkg_install (and pkg_rpm etc) should only be interested in accepting inputs and doing the packaging, rather than manipulating individual files.

[aiuto]

This seems like overbuilding without a real need. Downgrading priority, but we should probably close it as pointless.

[aiuto]

Closing issues that no one is likely to work on for any forseable future