On Thu, Aug 26, 2004 at 09:35:45PM -0300, Daniel Ruoso wrote: > Em Qui, 2004-08-26 ?s 20:33, Matthew Palmer escreveu: > > I have one giant question for you: how will you handle cross-sectional > > dependencies? If I just specify, for instance, the kde section, how will I > > get X installed? > > Surely, it's an important point. But there is one assumption on my > proposal... This would be used by users that know what they're doing. If it's only going to be used by the uber-l33t, you can drop the need for section descriptions, and explicit dependencies, and just say "you can work it out for yourself". For machines tracking unstable (where Packages files are changing regularly), that might actually be useful -- at least until you realise that tracking unstable involves downloading a lot of very large debs on a regular basis, and therefore the Packages file isn't big bikkies. > > as soon as you pick one section. Remember that it only takes one dependency > > on a package in another section to have to pull in that entire section's > > Packages file... > > Yes and no, because I think the user should still have the choice to not > download a section even if some packages in the selected sections > depends on it. Because I may want to don't install some packages of that > section, installing only the packages that doesn't have the dependency > broken. Lordy, you're out to bring down a whole rain of hell on d-user. I can imagine it now, someone does an install, picking only those sections they think will be needed. Then someone else takes over, goes to apt-get install <whatever>, and the system tells them to go suck a lemon. Even I'd probably just say "fuckit" the third time I got a "can't find a dependent package" error and take the whole packages file. Going to p.d.o and asking "what section is this package in", editing my sources.list to add that section, update, and then upgrade, feels like way too much effort. For embedded systems and the clunkers (thank foo I've finally put all of mine to boatanchor heaven) it might be useful simply to reduce dpkg processing time, but I think that's a fairly small market, and would be better served just by a cut-down mini distro anyway. - Matt
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