Re: Multiarch file overlap summary and proposal

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> David Kalnischkies wrote:

>> Why would it be intuitive to add a specific value for the arch attribute with
>> apt-get install foo   # arch |= native
>> but remove all values of the attribute with
>> apt-get remove foo    # arch &= ~all-architectures
>> ?
[...]
> But I really think this is something anyone can get used to.  In the
> examples you listed above:
>
>  apt-get install foo;	# install foo with default arch-list (native)
>  apt-get remove foo;	# remove foo
>
> If foo is installed for no architectures, that does not mean it is
> installed with an empty architecture list.  It means it is simply not
> installed.

Ok, now I think I figured out the inconsistency you are pointing to.
If i386 is the native architecture, what would you expect the
following sequence of commands to do?

	apt-get install linux-image-3.2.0-1-amd64:amd64

	... wait a few weeks ...

	apt-get install linux-image-3.2.0-1-amd64

I would expect it to install the kernel with 'Architecture: amd64' and
then to upgrade it.

So the proposed semantics are not quite 'arch |= native'.  They are
more like 'arch defaults to native for non-installed packages'.

Jonathan