Re: Should build-depends only list direct dependencies?

[Antti-Juhani Kaijanaho <gaia@iki.fi>]

On Sun, May 21, 2000 at 05:16:39PM -0400, Michael Alan Dorman wrote:
> If I'm building a module X, that depends on library Y, which depends
> in turn on library Z, am I correct in assuming that I need only
> specify a build-depends on library Y, and that the implicit dependency
> on library Z can be considered taken care of?

It depends :-)

This is the intention: If you directly use Z, you should build-depend
on it.  If you need Z only because Y needs it, you should not build-depend
on it.

In other words, list only those packages *you* need.  What others (for
example the packages you build-depend on) need is their business.

In yet another words, if your build breaks when Y correctly removes its
dependency on Z, you should build-depend on Z, but if your build continues
to work even when Y no longer depends on Z, you should not build-depend
on Z.  (Assuming of course that Y removing Z from its dependencies is
no packaging mistake.)

BTW, this is explicitly mentioned in the build-time dependency spec.
-- 
%%% Antti-Juhani Kaijanaho % gaia@iki.fi % http://www.iki.fi/gaia/ %%%

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