Re: Optional Build-Depends

[Steve McIntyre <steve@einval.com>]

On Thu, Jul 16, 2020 at 07:27:52PM +0200, Julian Andres Klode wrote:

...

>Rationales:
>
>
>1. You can start optionally build-depending on stuff available
>   only on some architectures, without having to use arch restriction
>   lists.
>
>   Arch restriction lists are tediuous, especially also because in
>   the case of libraries, they need to be recursively applied:
>
>     libfoo is only available on bar
>     libbaz depends on libfoo
>
>   results in build-depends: libbaz [bar]
>
>   With optional build-depends, you can just write libbaz? and
>   not have to update the dep each time libfoo appears on a new
>   arch. (apply argument to longer recursive chains)

Hmmm. What happens if a build-dep is transiently not available? How
can you guarantee controllable, predictable behaviour?

-- 
Steve McIntyre, Cambridge, UK.                                steve@einval.com
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
   -- Bertrand Russell