System and method for generating a distributable software package

1. A method for generating a distributable software package, comprising:

loading a template from a distributed library of binaries, the distributed library of binaries being available over a network;

loading a number of modules from the distributed library of binaries;

receiving configuration options over the network, the configurations options defining options for the distributable software package and the modules within the distributable software package; and

assembling a distributable software package according to the template, module, and the configuration options,

if the distributable software package is derived from a template version of the distributable software package, and the template version of the distributable software package is modified, then modifying the distributable software package when the template version of the distributable software package is modified,

in which the distributed library of binaries comprises template versions of binaries and modified versions of the template versions of the binaries.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distributable software package customizes an operating system installation in a manner different from a native configuration method.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the module includes at least one of meta data, a script, a source file, a control file, and an answer file.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which the modules comprise a plurality of configuration options.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, over a network connection, a selection of the template and the module.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the template, module, and the configuration options in modular form for distribution.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising installing the distributable software package on a target data processing system.

8. A data processing system comprising:

a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor to:

load an eBuild profile;

load a template from a distributed library of binaries, the distributed library of binaries being available over a network;

load a number of modules from the distributed library of binaries;

receive configuration options over the network, the configurations options defining options for the distributable software package and the modules within the distributable software package;

assemble a distributable software package according to the profile, template, module, and the configuration options; and

store the profile, template, module, and configuration options in modular form for distribution,

if the distributable software package is derived from a template version of the distributable software package, and the template version of the distributable software package is modified, then modifying the distributable software package when the template version of the distributable software package is modified,

in which the distributed library of binaries comprises template versions of binaries and modified versions of the template versions of the binaries.

9. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the distributable software package customizes an operating system installation in a manner different from a native configuration method.

10. The data processing system of claim 8 wherein the module includes at least one of meta data, a script, a source file, a control file, and an answer file.

11. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the module includes a plurality of configuration options.

12. The data processing system of claim 8 , in which the processor is further to receive, over the network, a selection of the template and the module.

13. The data processing system of claim 8 , in which the processor is further to install the distributable software package on a target data processing system.

14. The data processing system of claim 8 , in which the distributed library of binaries is available to a client other than the client that authored the binary.

15. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable medium for generating a distributable software package, comprising:

computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, load a template from a distributed library of binaries, the distributed library of binaries being available over a network;

computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, load a number of modules from the distributed library of binaries;

computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, receive configuration options over the network;

computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, assemble a distributable software package according to the template, module, and the configuration options; and

computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, if the distributable software package is derived from a template version of the distributable software package, and the template version of the distributable software package is modified, then modify the distributable software package when the template version of the distributable software package is modified,

in which the distributed library of binaries comprises template versions of binaries and modified versions of the template versions of the binaries.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the distributable software package customizes an operating system installation in a manner different from a native configuration method.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the module includes at least one of meta data, a script, a source file, a control file, and an answer file.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , in which the modules comprise a plurality of configuration options.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, receive, over the network connection, a selection of the template and the module.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, store the template, module, and the configuration options in modular form for distribution.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising computer usable program code to, when executed by a processor, install the distributable software package on a target data processing system.