On 12-07-10 at 07:35pm, Eugene V. Lyubimkin wrote: > On 2012-07-10 18:10, Jonas Smedegaard wrote: > > The very purpose of a meta-package is to _ensure_ that a certain set > > of packages is installed, not just recommend them: All (not only > > most) users of that package need all its dependencies satisfied > > My definition of meta-package is less strict than yours. I as user > sometimes want '[meta]package X, but without packages Y and Z', and > your definition absolutely rules that out. > > I saw many questions on forums like > > "I did '$packagemanager install $metapackage' and then after > '$packagemanager remove $singlepackage', why $packagemanager now wants > to remove all $metapackage?" > > , so I know I'm not alone. As users we play around with the possibilities of the Debian system, and not always get it right. Sometimes we misunderstand parts of the system design wrongly and do not enjoy the full potential of Debian for ages, until learning more - and often parallel to that Debian improving to be more clear in its intended use. You being alone does not make you right. A package manager wanting to remove all dependencies of a meta-package is quite sensible - when you understand the sense of it. Until then it is utterly confusing. > Using Recommends for non-core parts of > metapackages' dependencies would nicely solve that. ...but I disagree that making meta-packages more elastic is a "nice" solution: is a hack covering over misguided users. Possible solutions could be improved documentation and improved design of package managers. - Jonas -- * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt * Tlf.: +45 40843136 Website: http://dr.jones.dk/ [x] quote me freely [ ] ask before reusing [ ] keep private
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