Re: propose new virtual package: libxaw-dev

[Matt Zimmerman <mdz@debian.org>]

On Fri, Sep 19, 2003 at 01:18:32PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote:

> Packages must always delcare a dependency on a real package before a
> pure virtual one as an alternative.  E.g.:
> 
> Depends: libxaw7-dev | libxaw-dev
> Depends: xterm | x-terminal-emulator
> 
> The reason for this is so that package management utilities can
> automatically act on such dependencies, instead of halting and asking
> the user to solve the problem of which of N packages that provide the
> virtual package should be installed.

This has always been my understanding of consensus and current practice, but
someone asked about it and I was unable to point them directly to anything
in policy.  Is this in fact required?  Policy only says this:

     If you want to specify which of a set of real packages should be the
     default to satisfy a particular dependency on a virtual package, you
     should list the real package as an alternative before the virtual one.

(big "if")

-- 
 - mdz