[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Dummy packages for feature dependencies



If a packaged program contains a Suggests:ed feature that is linked at 
runtime when a user does something special, perhaps via dlopen(3), then 
the program may appear to fail mysteriously if the library the feature 
depends on has different calling conventions or symbols from the one the 
program was built and tested against.

Would it make sense for these cases to be covered by extra debian 
packages, perhaps with a  -feature suffix to the name, which contain 
concrete dependencies?  That way the admin will be able to assure his 
users that an upgrade won't break things.


Case in point: mutt's IMAPS capability depends on a specific version of
libgnutls5 being present, or it complains about a missing symbol and
hides your mail from you when you try to access a mailbox starting with
"imaps://".


	Regards,

-- 
Andrew Chadwick
<Secure beneath the watchful eyes>

Attachment: pgpeBIrC0JWUv.pgp
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: