D Shared Software System version 0.1 Released!

[clayasaurus]

Gregor Richards wrote:
> I have just released the first (alpha-ish) version of DSSS, the D Shared 
> Software System. It definitely still has some bugs, but it's at a point 
> where I need to see if anybody actually will use it :)
> 
> Most notable bug is that its installation scheme is a bit rigid right 
> now. It's on "the list."
> 
> DSSS is described fully below, but up-front I will mention that part of 
> DSSS' purpose is to provide an analogue to Perl's CPAN or Ruby's Gems.
> 
> DSSS is available from http://www.dsource.org/projects/dsss .
> 
> Here's everything you need to know:
> 
> 
> The D Shared Software System
> ----------------------------
> 
> DSSS, the D Shared Software System, is a tool to ease the building,
> installation, configuration and acquisition of D software.
> 
> 
> Building
> --------
> 
> There are plenty of tools for building D software. There's bud (previously
> build), upon which DSSS is based, the antiquated make, and a plethora of 
> other
> tools capable of building D software. DSSS intends to be more generally 
> useful
> than any of them.
> 
>  * DSSS eliminates the need to keep lists of source files, figuring them 
> all
>    out by imports in source. It will even link in the proper libraries
>    automatically.
>  * DSSS can transparently build libraries from any D package.
>  * DSSS automatically generates .di (D import) files for libraries which 
> cause
>    code using the library to link it in automatically.
>  * Since DSSS uses bud, DSSS has all of bud's features as well.
>  * DSSS can automatically choose names for libraries generated from D 
> packages
>    which will not conflict with libraries from other sources, or 
> incompatible
>    compilers. So you do not need to concern yourself with library names.
> 
> 
> Installation
> ------------
> 
> As compared to building software, there are few tools capable of 
> installing D
> software well.
> 
>  * DSSS maintains a centralized repository of installed software, such 
> that you
>    can use it in your software trivially. .di files and library files 
> are all
>    managed by DSSS, as part of its effort to make imports map to library 
> files
>    automatically.
>  * DSSS keeps track of all of the software that has been installed through
>    DSSS, so any of it can be uninstalled easily.
> 
> 
> Configuration
> -------------
> 
> DSSS' build configuration file (dsss.conf) allows full use of version
> statements from D. So, you can fine-tune your software to build 
> precisely what
> is necessary for the host system.
> 
> 
> Acquisition
> -----------
> 
> In the spirit of Perl's CPAN or Ruby's Gems, DSSS has a central 
> repository of
> sources for D software. It maintains a list of software packages available,
> where they can be acquired, and what packages/modules they provide. 
> Because it
> maintains a list of packages and modules, dependencies for a tool can be
> installed as easily as:
> $ dsss net deps
> 
> DSSS will then trace all of the software's D dependencies and install them.
> This feature can of course also be used to install arbitrary software, 
> such as:
> $ dsss net install mango
> 
> Upon either of these commands, DSSS will download the software from its
> upstream source, compile it, and install it.
> 
> 
> More Information
> ----------------
> 
> DSSS is available from http://www.dsource.org/projects/dsss . It is FOSS
> (Free/Open Source Software) under a very permissive license. Its 
> development
> code base is maintained in subversion and can be checked out from the 
> following
> URL:
> http://svn.dsource.org/projects/dsss/trunk
> 
> DSSS has been tested and is known to work with GDC on Posix systems, and 
> with DMD on Windows. It has not been tested with GDC on Windows or DMD 
> on GNU/Linux.
> 
> 
> 
> At present, the following software is installable via DSSS:
> bcd.gen
> bintod
> ddbi
> derelict
> dirclib
> dool
> dsss
> dstring
> duit
> gdc-gcc-3.4
> gdc-gcc-4.0
> mango
> wxd
> 
> 
> To add your own software, configure it to use DSSS (technically you 
> don't have to, but it'd help ... ) then submit the information to me, 
> and I'll add it.
> 
>  - Gregor Richards

Is there some sort of manual available for this? I'm not quite sure how 
I am supposed to use it. Thanks.

~ Clay