If fedora extras cd's are to be used through yum, I believe there should be a local.repo file pointing at mounted devices (a generic file, possibly using HAL? I am not developer, but that seems to be the use for it).

By FC5 There should probably be a frontend for yum in the default install.

The CD should have a directory structure, with the headers and a premade sqlite file with the files that can be used against the local version, along with a gpg key.

The yum GUI should handle the install. There is an issue though: What if more than one cd is needed? Will there be a need to allow for each cd to have a unique name distinguishable through yum? or can this be handled with the sqlite file which will distinguish the cd's.

This in addition to a secong localrepo file that handles installs of downloaded rpm's (I suggested this earlier; you could even have a scripted folder called apps, where dragging an app into it will start yum just for the mac lovers!) should make the Fedora way better than other competitor's ways.

Bullet points of what I as a semi-geek end-user think will solve the problem:

1. Stick to the linux way of repositories.
2. Add two local repositories: 1 for installing downloaded rpm's, one for mounted extras media.
3. media that have the same structure as online repository (self containing with both headers, and rpms in similar structure), with the addition of sqlite file (which is only compared against local version; you do not want to have to load a cd every time you run yum update ;)). If an app is instalkled, just do the normal 'downloading' of the header, and rpm to the pc from the cd!
3. Some gui front-end for installing. a YumEX tat as the features of synaptic, but easier to use! (Not asking for much am I?)
4. A scripted folder that will automatically install apps. (Or this could just be the apps menu; drag an app into the Applications menu, and it will auto install via yum!) (the folder could be like the ones in my lcations; computer, network, wastebasket, apps...)
5. drag the file out of the folder (or off the menu) into the recyclebin, and this will run yum remove...

None of this deals with auto updating rpms downloaded from proprietry sources that have not created a repo, but the consensus seems proprietry devs will not use the more elegant 'fap' method anyway, so make things simpler and have less hassle.

(Sorry if this messes up the listing format in archives. I m using Gmail with the Digest option, and thus cannot reply to individual emails. If anyone can tell me kow to sort this problem out, please mail me.)