Something truly wonderful happened during my 'forest fire': a huge step up for the packaging for the One-Wire Sensor Networks.
Ubuntu (for those who don't know) has repositories for their main software. The user doesn't need to know where the repos are, just that they need a certain package, and to ask for it; it's really nice. Can't be any simpler.
Well there are times were you just want to post a handful of software packages, like the OWFS stuff. Even this is easy; the user need only know the name of the Personal Package Archive (PPA) to add it to his machine. Adding such a packaging source is as easy as:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:user/ppa-name
There are two new sources for the OWFS software packaged this way. There's Devil66 which I use, and Martin Fischer which I have not.
The Devil66 package puts things in places I expect, like /etc/owfs.conf and allows for the entire suite to be installed and each part turned on/off at will. The whole thing mounts on /mnt/1wire and if you're using a non-USB dongle, can be read/written as non-root.
This is a relief; part of setting up an onboard computer is the hassle of things that don't come in a package. And as time goes by, when an update comes you tend to be forgotten. With these PPAs, the new software is installed as soon as it's available. It's a wonderful thing!
