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New Virtual Package Names List (& X stuff)



Hi all,

As promised, a new version of this list with the fixed-up X stuff in it (see
below).

Some issues arose while preparing this update.  The first one (as mentioned
earlier on this list) is that any package wishing to refer to the X
libraries should use "xlib6" rather than "elf-x11r6lib".  You'll notice the
new name is shorter, more convenient, in line with library package naming
conventions, and what dpkg-shlibdeps will probably provide anyway.  Packages
referring to "elf-x11r6lib" should be changed next time they're updated
(there's no reason this needs to happen in a hurry).

The other main issue is that many packages refer to "xbase", "xbaseR6", or
"X11R6" in their dependencies.  Almost all of these are errors.  Unless the
package is somehow involved in *local* X display, the right thing to refer
to is "xlib6".  Just about any X program can be displayed remotely, and all
you need for this are the X libraries.  By referring to "xbase" or "X11R6",
you are indicating that local display capabilities are required.  If this is
not the case, but there is something in "xbase" that you need to refer to,
then perhaps some new virtual package needs to be introduced to handle the
situation (in the mean time, "xbase" is preferable to either "xbaseR6" or
"X11R6").

Anyway, here's a list of packages that currently reference "xbase",
"xbaseR6", or "X11R6":

hfsutils        Suggests xbaseR6
motifnls        Depends  xbaseR6
ucbmpeg*        Recommends X11R6
w3-el           Recommends xbase
xarclock        Depends xbase
xasteroids      Depends X11R6
xcontrib        Depends X11R6
xkeycaps        Suggests xbaseR6
xless           Depends X11R6
xpaste          Depends X11R6
xwpe            Recommends xbase
zircon          Depends X11R6


Warwick.

--------

          AUTHORITATIVE LIST OF VIRTUAL PACKAGE NAMES

Below is an authoritative list of virtual package names currently
in-use or proposed and not objected to.  Please check the list below
for things relevant to your packages.

New packages MUST use virtual package names where appropriate (this
includes making new ones - read on).

Packages MUST NOT use virtual package names (except privately, amongst
a cooperating group of packages) unless they have been agreed upon and
appear in this list.

The latest version of this file can be found in
        doc/package-developer/virtual-package-names-list.text
on your local Debian FTP site.

The procedure for updating the list is as follows:

1. Post to debian-devel saying what names you intend to use or what
   other changes you wish to make.

2. Wait a few days for comment.

3. Mail the maintainer of the virtual package name list (Warwick Harvey
   <warwick@cs.mu.OZ.AU>) notifying him of the consensus reached (or
   your suggestions if noone objected).  Please include a proposed brief
   description of the new virtual name(s) for the list.  The list
   maintainer will then post the new list to debian-devel and upload it
   to the FTP site.

4. Go and use the new or changed names.

Warwick.
(based on earlier version by Ian J.)


Now, the list:

The X Window System:
--------------------
xserver                 Any X server (used by other X packages)
xbaseR6                 Obsolete - you probably mean xlib6
xdevel                  Obsolete package - replaced by xlib6-dev
xlib                    Obsolete package - replaced by xlib6
xlibraries              Obsolete - use xlib6 instead
X11R6                   Obsolete - you probably mean xlib6
elf-x11r6lib            Obsolete - use xlib6 instead
aout-x11r6lib           a.out version of the X shared libraries
xR6shlib                Obsolete - use xlib6 (or aout-x11r6lib) instead

  Note:  There are (currently) many packages that depend, recommend,
  or suggest "xbase", "xbaseR6", or "X11R6" which probably shouldn't.
  Nearly all X programs don't care whether they are displayed locally
  or not, and so "xlib6" is likely a more reasonable dependency than
  "xbase", etc.  If in doubt, ask debian-devel or the X maintainer.

News and Mail:
--------------
mail-transport-agent    Mail transport agents (Smail, Sendmail, &c)
mail-reader             Mail user agents (Pine, Elm, mailx, &c)
news-transport-system   Local news system (INN, C News or B News)
news-reader             Any news reader (trn, tin, &c)
inews                   /usr/bin/inews - local or remote news poster
pgp                     A version of PGP (International or US)
imap-client             Any mail reader capable of accessing remote mail
                        folders using the IMAP protocol (e.g. Pine)
imap-server             Any IMAP mail server

Java:
-----
java-base-libs          Any implementation of the basic class libraries
java-awt-libs           Any implementation of the Abstract Window Toolkit
java-compiler           Any java source to bytecode compiler
java-virtual-machine    Anything providing a java virtual machine
java-appletviewer       Anything that can display java applets

Miscellaneous:
--------------
libc.so.4               An a.out shared C library, version 4.x.x.
info-browser            Something that can browser GNU Info files
kernel-source           Kernel source code
kernel-headers          Kernel header files (<linux/*.h>, <asm/*.h>)
kernel-image            Kernel image ( vmlinuz, System.map, modules )
httpd                   Any HTTP server
postscript-viewer       Anything that can display Postscript files
postscript-preview      Any preprocessor that creates Postscript output
www-browser             Something that can browse html files
awk                     Anything providing suitable /usr/bin/{awk,nawk}
c-shell                 Anything providing a suitable /usr/bin/csh
pdf-viewer              Anything that can display PDF files
pdf-preview             Any preprocessor that creates PDF output
compress                Anything that provides a true BSD compress command
emacs                   Anything that provides the emacs editor
sgmls                   An SGML parser which produces output compatible
                        with James Clark's sgmls and nsgmls parsers

Names of superseded packages Provided by the current ones:
----------------------------------------------------------
gs_x, gs_svga, gs_both  Provided by Ghostscript (gs).  Use gs.
xpmR6                   Provided by xpm.  Use xpm.

Change history:
---------------
22 Sep 1995 Ian Jackson         Initial revision.
26 Mar 1996 Andrew Howell       Added www-browser.
11 May 1996 Manoj Srivastava    Added kernel-image, added new location of
                                this file
19 May 1996 Warwick Harvey      Took over maintenance of list, changed
                                instructions for updating list
25 Jul 1996 Warwick Harvey      Added awk as per Chris Fearnley's suggestion
                                Added c-shell, which seemed to have dropped
                                off at some stage
 2 Aug 1996 Added pdf-{viewer,preview}, compress, emacs
 5 Aug 1996 Added imap-{client,server}
 8 Aug 1996 Added editor
20 Aug 1996 Added sgmls, removed metafont, dvilj, dvips
25 Nov 1996 Removed editor (should have done this a long time ago)
 4 Jan 1997 Added Java virtual packages
 7 Jan 1997 Updated the X section to more closely resemble reality


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warwick Harvey                                    email: warwick@cs.mu.OZ.AU
Department of Computer Science                        phone: +61-3-9344-9171
University of Melbourne                                 fax: +61-3-9348-1184
Parkville, Victoria, AUSTRALIA 3052     web: http://www.cs.mu.OZ.AU/~warwick


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