Re: mtools

[Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net>]

On Tue, 28 Sep 1999, David Weinehall wrote:

> On Tue, 28 Sep 1999, Dale Scheetz wrote:
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > Guys, guys, guys...  This is a discussion that was had quite a while ago,
> > and which lead to the creation of xlib6. The whole point was that it was
> > unnecessary glut to include a console version _and_ an X aware version of
> > packages like emacs (and others), when a small library could provide all
> > that was necessary to make a single program both console and X compatible.
> > xfree86-common is simply a recent way to remove the architectural
> > independent pieces from xlib6 and provide them in an independent fashion.
> 
> This is ok with me for stuff like emacs (eventhough I'd really become
> aggressive if someone removed the vim-tty package.), but when it comes to
> mtools, it's only one single file; a daemon (floppyd, if I'm not all
> wrong) that needs xlib6g. It'd be simple to extract this daemon from
> mtools and create an extra package with just this file, and make this file
> recommended by mtools, and make mtools required by the extra-package.

So now you have two packages one without an xlib6 dependency, that
requires an extra-package with _does_ depend on xlib6. Pushing the
dependency away by one package, doesn't make it disappear.

The point is, that when you install mtools, it is only taking advantage of
a Debian "space saving feature" when it links to xlib6. The depends is
there, on the very odd chance that you have not yet had to install this
miniscule library for other packages that use it as well.

If you have installed a "standard" system, you already have it. If you are
trying to create a "trimmed down" system, you will most likely need it
anyway, unless you trim X completely out of your system. Debian isn't
designed only to meet those limited circumstances. It was decided that
this small penalty in space for the "minimal" library generates more
flexibility with less cost than what you suggest (i.e. creating x and
non-x packages to meet the X users requirements).

Even in the "trimmed down system" the penalty is small.

Luck,

Dwarf
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