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Re: files in one package for another package



Michael Wiedmann <mw@miwie.in-berlin.de> writes:

> What is the best way to handle the following situation:
>
> package A (unofficial "beamer" in my case) contains some support
> files for an official package B ("lyx-common"). These support files have
> to be copied into the directory tree of package B.
>
> How can I determine at installation time whether package B is
> installed?
>
> Can I simply copy the files into their places of package B?
>
> Or should I build a separate package C, which only contains these
> support files and has a dependency on package B (this looks like
> overkill to me)?

[ not a debian developer but I think the answer is reasonably clear ]

I think that this final option is the only sane way.  See the following
scenarios that happen if beamer does install-time detection:

1) dpkg -i beamer...
2) dpkg -i lyx-common...

Now the beamer lyx files aren't installed, beamer has no way to run a hook on
another package's installation to notice this change.

1) dpkg -i lyx-common...
2) dpkg -i beamer...
3) dpkg --purge lyx-common

Now the beamer lyx files ARE installed, but lyx is not.  Given the recent
'when it's appropriate to split packages' threads, beamer-lyx is an acceptable
usage case.

- Erik



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