Bug#2807: X <-> cpp dependency?

[Guy Maor <maor@ece.utexas.edu>]

On Thu, 25 Apr 1996, David Engel wrote:

> If you need general cpp support (ala /usr/bin/cpp),
> install the cpp package.

I don't need general cpp support.  It's other programs that I use that
want it.  xbase and netstd both depend on cpp.  I don't see a need to
have cpp if I have gcc installed.  I just made the link and forced the
install in both cases.  That's quite unnecessary.

> If you need to compile C programs, install
> the gcc package (it has it's own, private cpp).  The only real problem
> with the current arrangement is that the cpp documentation is only in
> the gcc package.
>
> A better arrangement might be to make the gcc package a superset of
> the cpp package and have it provide and conflict with the cpp package.

That's exactly what I want.  It's a pretty simple arrangement to
achieve:

1. Add a virtual package cppv (it can't be cpp as cpp has to conflict with
   it).
2. Have gcc and cpp both provide and conflict with cpp.
3. Have gcc and cpp both provide a symbolic link /lib/cpp pointing into
   the appropriate place.
4. Both the cpp and gcc package should contain the info and man pages for cpp.

I see you're the maintainer of cpp.  Could you get together with the
gcc maintainer to make this happen?  Actually, why are they not
maintained by the same fellow?  Obviously they're derived from the same
source.  Perhaps you could just get together with Siggy Brentrup and
add cpp rules to his debian.rules?  Simplicity is good.


Guy