Re: [PATCH dpkg 0/3] supporting seemless package renames (dpkg --configure --ignore-not-installed)
On Thursday 08 April 2010 14:32:20 Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> I was reading some old material about trouble handling renaming binary
> packages in a seemless manner [1] [2]. My main thought: this
> shouldn’t be hard to fix.
Hi Jonathan,
Firstly, I'd ask you next time you CC deity@l.d.o, CC cupt@packages.debian.org
as well.
Secondly, AFAIK, Guillem Jover some time ago added a notice of disappeared
packages to --status-fd dpkg output, so theoretically any high-level package
manager can use it (practically, I don't know whether apt uses/will use it or
not, but cupt does not, due to to 'Thirdly' below).
Thirdly, IMO this 'disappear' thing is a design flaw in dpkg/policy:
- Policy says that disappearted packages will not receive 'prerm' signal.
Then, what's the point of having it when maintainer cannot guarantee it will
be called?
- When you upgrades your system by some high-level package manager it usually
says you that 'packages oldpkg and newpkg will be upgraded' (or 'newpkg will
be installed and oldpkg is upgraded'). Once oldpkg gets suddenly dropped, it's
inconvenient (at least) to high-level package managers, may confuse users,
and, in case, just a lie. If the package manager says it will upgraded, it
should be upgraded and not removed.
- The use-case for 'fast transition' doesn't look good to me, because when
user will try to install the package he/she will see 'the package does not
exist' instead of installing newpkg and transitional oldpkg.
Thanks for attention.
--
Eugene V. Lyubimkin
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