Bug#2410: xdm requires /lib/cpp

[Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.chu.cam.ac.uk>]

Andrew Howell writes ("Re: Bug#2410: xdm requires /lib/cpp"):
...
> cpp is provided by gcc, but the gcc package isn't making the /lib/cpp to
> /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-linux/2.7.2/cpp.
>
> Hmmm I thought gcc conflicted with the cpp package, but 2.7.2-4 doesn't
> seem to.
>
> So is gcc supposed to provide cpp? If so then it should conflict with the
> cpp package and make the /lib/cpp link.
>
> If I remember correctly the cpp package only exists cause some programs
> use cpp and people may need cpp but not want to install gcc.

I think that

(a) The separate cpp package should exist, and should either have a
well-known concrete package name or should conflict with and provide a
virtual package name (see the list of virtual package names in
project/standards for how to allocate one).

(b) xbase should Depend on (or _perhaps_ Recommend) the appropriate
thing.

(c) If GCC contains /lib/cpp it should say provide and conflict with
the virtual package name.

Ian.