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Re: petsc_2.3.0-1_i386.changes REJECTED



[redirecting this to -devel; discussions of ftp team NEW queue policies are
 off-topic for -release.]

On Mon, Nov 14, 2005 at 05:13:47PM -0500, Adam C Powell IV wrote:

> > And thats what I asked for, yes. Drop the version from -dev|-dbg|-doc,
> > use the shlib system for the rest (which makes packages built against it
> > depending on the right version) and have fun.

> I understand that, and the whole proposal.  And it will break a lot of
> things for many of my users, who need to use old versions of the -dev
> packages at the same time -- which is why I do the versioned -dev
> packages and the alternatives system.

*Why* do users need to use old versions of -dev packages at the same time?
How can it be so important to maintain parallel installable versions of
devel packages for a library package that has only *one* reverse-dependency
in Debian?

For that matter, why is it important that Debian provide support for
coinstallability with older packages that are, evidently, not important
enough themselves to be supported by Debian?

Anyway, the empty petsc-dev package is completely pointless.  It can't be
used sanely as a dependency or build-dependency, because it does *not*
guarantee a constant interface thanks to petsc's FHS-incompatible layout.
I think it would be better if there *were* a single petsc-dev package
containing the header files and library links in FHS locations, making
libpetsc2.2.0-dev unnecessary; but if this is not to be the case for
whatever reason, then petsc-dev ought to be dropped.  In any case, I agree
with Joerg that there ought to only be one -dev package here...

> So now the needs/requests of the users are less important to Debian than
> removing two empty packages?

Users often make requests that would be bad for the system as a whole if we
honored them unconditionally.  Package indices that grow without bounds are
one way that choices that may be good for a subset of users come with a cost
for the rest of our users.

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
vorlon@debian.org                                   http://www.debian.org/

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