Re: cpp and gcc are both providing elf-gcc

["brian (b.c.) white" <bcwhite@bnr.ca>]

>> The installed "cpp" goes in /usr/bin while gcc puts its preproccessor
>> somewhere under /usr/lib/gcc-2.7.2/...  The should be totally
>> independant packages.  I don't see why the "cpp" packages is listed
>> as providing anything or why gcc should depend upon cpp since in puts
>> its preprocessor in its own directory.
>
>Look, as I've pointed out before, I'm no expert on this; but a cursory 
>examination of my system reveals that /usr/bin/cpp is a symlink to 
>../lib/gcc-lib-i486-linux/2.7.2/cpp ... this must have been installed as 
>part of gcc.  It therefore seems that, if what you have written is 
>correct, cpp and gcc MUST conflict - or else use Ian Jackson's new 
>override facility in dpkg ...

Your incorrect assumption is that /usr/bin/cpp is a symlink.  Now that
cpp is its own package, this is no longer the case.  Gcc no longer
installs that symlink.


>What I was trying to suggest is this: you should install EITHER gcc or 
>cpp, depending on whether you want the functionality of gcc.  These 
>should conflict, and both provide cpp.  (I realise that conflicting with 
>a package you provide could be a problem; if so, cpp should be renamed 
>to, say, cpp-only, and then gcc and cpp-only could both provide cpp, 
>which other things could depend on).

This was suggested, but was decided that it wasn't worth it.  Others
can tell you why.  I wasn't following it that closely.

                                        Brian
                                 ( bcwhite@bnr.ca )

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