Re: Proposed change to dpkg behaviour
'Ian Jackson wrote:'
>
>I propose to add yet another control file field:
> Replaces: <dependency-specification>
>(syntax the same as Conflicts, including the optional version spec).
>
>The effects will be:
>
>* Suppose you have A installed, and want to install B, which conflicts
>with A. If B declares `Replaces: A' then you don't need to deselect A
>first (by using dpkg --remove and having it fail, or using dselect).
>This may make dselect's job easier too - it will always deselect A in
>favour of B, and perhaps copy A's `wanted' state to B.
Probably this is the right way to do it. BUT, for me the bigger
problem I was hoping could be solved by a Replaces: field is upgrading
libraries. For libraries there is the difficulty of other packages
depending on them. But the newer version of a package may not be
backward-compatible and the older version may still be needed for stuff
the local sysadmin compiles herself. In these cases something like the
conffiles mechanism might be useful.
--
Christopher J. Fearnley | UNIX SIG Leader at PACS
cjf@netaxs.com | (Philadelphia Area Computer Society)
http://www.netaxs.com/~cjf | Design Science Revolutionary
ftp://ftp.netaxs.com/people/cjf | Explorer in Universe
"Dare to be Naive" -- Bucky Fuller | Linux Advocate
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