Re: Bug#999420: dh_shlibdeps: Please consider option (or default) to ignore weak symbols for dependencies
Control: reassign -1 dpkg
Josh Triplett:
> Package: debhelper
> Version: 13.5.2
> Severity: wishlist
> File: /usr/bin/dh_shlibdeps
> X-Debbugs-Cc: josh@joshtriplett.org
>
> When a program or library declares a weak symbol, that typically
> indicates that it's prepared to do without the symbol.
>
Hi Josh,
Most of what you request in this bug happens (or requires support) in
the underlying dpkg tool, dpkg-shlibdeps. I am therefore reassigning it
to dpkg.
Quoting the remaining text in full (below) for the sake of the dpkg
maintainer.
> However, dh_shlibdeps takes weak symbols into account when determining
> library dependencies, and will produce a strict Depends on a library
> even if only needed for a weak symbol. Some software (e.g. the Rust
> standard library) works around this by calling dlsym instead, but that
> introduces other potential issues, and weak symbols are *much* simpler
> and easier to work with.
>
> I'd like to propose changing this behavior, either with an option, or as
> part of a future debhelper compatibility level (which could make that
> option the default). I'd propose instead that dh_shlibdeps could
> separate out dependencies from weak symbols, and put them in a separate
> substitution field, which packagers could then choose to put in either
> Depends or Recommends or Suggests or nowhere, as appropriate.
>
> The net effect of this would be to broaden shared library dependencies,
> making packages easier to install and backport, and making it easier for
> upstreams to make use of weak symbols without introducing compatibility
> issues.
>
> - Josh Triplett
>
~Niels
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