Bug#747933: libc6-dev: Recommends: (gcc | c-compiler) is problematic with cross-compilers
Package: libc6-dev
Version: 2.18-4
Severity: normal
Hi. Currently the libc6-dev package is
Recommends: gcc | c-compiler
This is fine with native compilers. However, if I'm on an amd64 host,
and I try to install libc6-dev:armel with intent to use it with a
cross-compiler that targets armel, this recommendation is wrong.
By default, apt wants to install the Recommends, so if using aptitude to
install libc6-dev:armel, aptitude will try to install gcc:armel, which
clashes with gcc:amd64, since gcc is not Multi-Arch:same. Aptitude then
really tries to make that work by proposing to remove gcc in various
ways. You have to resolve this manually. This is arguably a deficiency
in aptitude, but maybe this Recommends can be loosened.
I don't believe Debian has any way to specify a Multi-Arch:foreign
virtual package (so the cross-compiler can't satisfy the c-compiler part
of this). Can we downgrade this Recommends to a Suggests, or maybe
remove it entirely? The user who installs libc6-dev likely already has a
compiler, and doesn't really benefit from this Recommends.
Reply to: