Re: help on creating a lib package

[James Troup <J.J.Troup@scm.brad.ac.uk>]

Shaleh <shaleh@livenet.net> writes:

> I am packaging imlib (image lib).  It can use giflib which is
> non-free.  I would like to make a ver that does and one that does
> not.  Suggestions on how to do this??  Virtual package?  A super and
> a minor package (one provides/overrides other)???

I'd suggest an `imlib-free' and `imlib-nonfree', which Conflicts: and
Replaces: each other and provide the virtual package `imlib'.  The
shlibs file of each library would point to `imlib'.  `svgalib' &
`svgalib-dummy' do something similar and the Conflicts: & Replaces:
mechanism works well there.  By having things depend on a virtual
package `imlib' you have things much easier than the complex
dependency mess svgalib* has.  HTH

-- 
James