Re: Bug#4895: gcc installs before binutils and fails
'Brian C. White wrote:'
>
>> >If any part of binutils is necessary for "install", then binutils probably
>> >needs to be listed under "Pre-Depends" instead of just "Depends".
>>
>> No, pre-depends should /only/ be used on system critical things like
>> libc5, bash, dpkg, etc. gcc should have NO pre-depends lines!
>
>Prehaps I don't understand "Pre-Depends". As far as I can tell it is
>like this:
>
> Depends: other packages that must be installed before this package
> can be used
>
> Pre-Depends: other packages that must be installed before this package
> can be _installed_
Not quite. In general, packages with Pre-Depends /could/ be installed
before the dependency is satisfied. But it takes so much overhead to
install packages with pre-dependencies properly and makes things less
convenient for users, that this mode of installation is reserved for
packages that would break your system if installed before the
pre-dependencies were satisfied. Since temporarily breaking gcc is not
critical for system functioning, a standard depends should be used.
See the Programmer's manual section 8.2.
I learned this the hard way when the old cflow package pre-depended on
gcc and dselect couldn't get past square one. Kaplut. Moral: Don't
use pre-depends except with base packages that if their dependencies
weren't met would trash the system.
>My point was that if "gcc" required something in "binutils" to be fully
>configured during gcc's installation (I can see no reason why this should
>be the case), then "pre-depends" would be the proper solution.
>
>If I have misunderstood the definitions, please enlighten me.
You understand the behavior, but not the risks associated with
pre-depends. The alleged gcc should not use pre-depends, but should
be fixed! Installation scripts should only use applications that are
part of a base Debian system.
--
Christopher J. Fearnley | Linux/Internet Consulting
cjf@netaxs.com, cjf@onit.net | UNIX SIG Leader at PACS
http://www.netaxs.com/~cjf | (Philadelphia Area Computer Society)
ftp://ftp.netaxs.com/people/cjf | Design Science Revolutionary
"Dare to be Naive" -- Bucky Fuller | Explorer in Universe
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