+#hmmm: copy to mainline scripts also.
+# figures out what kind of installation packager application is
+# used on this machine and invokes it to install the list of
+# packages provided as parameters.
+function install_system_package()
+{
+ local packages=("${@}")
+ # pull out the array of packages from the command line.
+ if [ ! -z "$IS_DARWIN" ]; then
+ # macos based...
+echo "installing for darwin"
+ if ! whichable brew; then
+ echo "Could not locate the brew installation system."
+ echo "Please install brew, which is required for MacOS feisty meow installs."
+ return 1
+ fi
+ brew install "${packages[@]}"
+ return $?
+ elif whichable apt; then
+ # ubuntu or debian or other apt-based OSes...
+echo "installing for apt"
+ sudo apt install "${packages[@]}"
+ return $?
+ elif whichable yum; then
+ # rpm based with yum available...
+echo "installing for yum"
+ sudo yum install "${packages[@]}"
+ return $?
+ elif [ "$OS" == "Windows_NT" ]; then
+ # windows-based with cygwin (or we'll fail out currently).
+echo "installing for apt-cyg"
+ if apt_cyg_finder; then
+ apt-cyg install perl-File-Which perl-Text-Diff
+ return $?
+ else
+ echo "apt-cyg is not currently available on this system. please install cygwin and apt-cyg."
+ return 1
+ fi
+ else
+ echo "Unknown installer application for this platform."
+ return 1
+ fi
+}
+
+####
+