Editing Linux Software Map

{{Short description|Software metadata database and file format}}
{{update|date=May 2014}}

'''Linux Software Map''' (LSM) is a standard text [[file format]] for describing [[Linux]] [[software]].  It also refers to the [[database]] constructed from these files.  LSM is one of the standard methods for announcing a new software release for Linux.

== File format ==
If a Linux program is to be distributed widely, an LSM file may be created to describe the program, normally in a file called ''software_package_name''.lsm.  This file begins with {{mono|Begin4}} and ends with {{mono|End}}. It has one [[field (computer science)|field]] on each line. The field name is separated from the value by a [[colon (punctuation)|colon]] (:). Mandatory fields are Title, Version, Entered-date, Description, Author and Primary-site.

==Example==
Here is a what a blank LSM template looks like, at time of writing:
<pre>
Begin4
Title:
Version:
Entered-date:
Description:
Keywords:
Author:
Maintained-by:
Primary-site:
Alternate-site:
Original-site:
Platforms:
Copying-policy:
End
</pre>

== Database ==
The collective [[database]] of LSM entries can be searched in order to locate [[software]] of a particular type.  This database has passed through various owners.  It was created by Jeff Kopmanis, Lars Wirzenius maintained it for a while, and now the current maintainer is Aaron Schrab (with help from volunteers).

The database can be [[download]]ed in its entirety, or one can perform limited [[Information retrieval|queries]] using a [[web interface]].

As of August 2022, the LSM index is still automatically updated by a e-mail robot. However, the maintainer of [[man-db]] eventually decided to stop maintaining its LSM data due to the perceived obsolescence of LSM.<ref name="Toscano">{{cite web |last1=Toscano |first1=Pino |title=Drop LSM file (!4) · Merge requests · man-db / man-db · GitLab |url=https://gitlab.com/man-db/man-db/-/merge_requests/4 |website=GitLab |date=13 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/LSM-TEMPLATE.html LSM template version 4] on ibiblio.org
*[http://lsm.qqx.org/lsm/LSM.gz Entire LSM Database]
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/linsearch/index.html Simple LSM Search] on ibiblio.org
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/linsearch/index.html Advanced LSM Search] on ibiblio.org
*[http://lsm.execpc.com/lsm/ Instructions for New Entries]

[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Computer file formats]]


{{linux-stub}}