Re: [sleuthkit-users] Linux Autopsy and Packaging

[Hoyt H. <hoy...@gm...>]

For those not aware of the issues...

Autopsy still sometimes exhibits compile errors depending on which branches
were used as source for both Autopsy and The Sleuth Kit. So far, no one
really understands why as far as I know, but the master branches of each
one seem to work together and correctly compile more often than the develop
branches. I'll need to review my emails from Richard to remember what the
latest status of this is.

Getting Autopsy to consistently compile on Linux or Mac is only part of the
challenge. Some of the included dependencies, such as Photorec, are Windows
binaries. To also include *NIX binaries increases installer bloat since
everyone gets everything, whether you need it or not. It's pretty big at it
is. Making those binaries additional downloads at installation time changes
how the Windows installation works currently, which might upset folks who
depend on that part remaining the same.

The best option in my mind is to leave the Windows install routine alone
and trigger the prerequisite downloads/installs of the *NIX dependencies
when the deb/rpm/dmg install file runs. One problem there is insuring the
right version of those dependencies. Older versions of some might be tricky
or impossible to get for various reasons, which would result in a failed or
broken install. If the dependencies are ok, Autopsy has to call those and
not the ones for a Windows environment. Java logic to determine the client
OS is already there, so a little code in the right places to choose the
OS-specific binary based on that is all that's needed.

It's just not a straightforward proposition unfortunately and the solution
can't introduce regressions. Then again, challenges are what makes life
fun. Also, I'm not with Basis. I've just spent a lot of time on this.

On Jul 14, 2017 12:21 PM, "Adam Dershowitz" <de...@al...> wrote:

>  That is great news.  I am very glad that hear that the Mac version is not
> completely gone!  I do wish you luck, and look forward to again having Mac
> and Linux support.
>
> --Adam
>
>
>
> On Jul 14, 2017, at 11:58 AM, Hoyt Harness <hoy...@gm...> wrote:
>
> I'm definitely working on both Linux and Mac porting. I've been otherwise
> occupied lately with retirement coming up fast and haven't had as much time
> to work on it. Right now, I'm working on those WIN binaries and specific
> scripts (Photorec, RegRipper, etc.). I'll be testing a debian packaging
> option (soon I hope) that will pull in those dependencies instead of
> requiring them as includes in the Autopsy package. I stay in touch with
> both Richard and Jonathan all the way through. I won't likely have much
> time until after August 1st and even then I've got to figure out where my
> donut money will be coming from. Regardless, I won't give up and I'd love
> to work with Barry and anyone else interested.
>
> Hoyt
>
> On Tue, Jul 11, 2017 at 7:57 PM, Barry Grundy <bg...@gm...> wrote:
>
>> I'd love to help out.  I package quite a few forensic programs for
>> Slackware, but I'm not a programmer and I rely a ton on documentation.  But
>> if I can assist, I'd be happy to contribute to the conversation.
>>
>> Barry
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 11, 2017 at 4:18 PM, Brian Carrier <ca...@sl...>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> The topic of getting Autopsy packaged up on a Linux distro has come up
>>> again and I wanted to reach out to see who was building Autopsy on Linux
>>> and who was doing packaging work so that we can all work together and make
>>> this happen.   can you let me know if you can help out in either?
>>>
>>> I made a github issues
>>> <https://github.com/sleuthkit/autopsy/issues/2938> to track the
>>> development results.
>>>
>>> thanks,
>>> brian
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> ----
>> Barry Grundy
>> bg...@gm...
>> bg...@li...
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Hoyt
> -----------------
> There are 11 kinds of people - those who think binary jokes are funny,
> those who don't, ...and those who don't know binary.
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