renaming a library package (advice and sanity check)
The recent thread on names of library packages on debian-devel made me
decide that I made a mistake in naming one of my packages.
Specifically, the vips7.10 source package creates four binary
packages: libvips7.10, libvips7.10-dev, libvips7.10-tools, and
libvips7.10-doc. There's no reason for the version number to be in
the name of the package since there's no reason to support more than
one version of this library at a time.
The vips packages have been in the archive a short time (since
late November or so) and only have one reverse dependency: the nip2
package which I also maintain.
Renaming the packages now will create a minor nuisance: the small
number of users of the package will have to learn a new name for the
package, ftp-masters will have to remove these packages that they just
approved, and the vips packages will have to go through NEW again. On
the other hand, it's better to fix this now than later.
Should I do this rename? I think I should because the cost is low
(since there are few users) and it's better to do it right.
I've read Section 5.9.3 of the developer's reference and understand it
clearly. Is that still the best way to go? Basically I would prepare
new packages with the correct names and with appropriate Replaces: and
Conflicts: lines so that installing the new packages will replace the
old packages. Once the new packages clear NEW, I would upload nip2 to
depend upon the new packages instead of the old packages and would
then request removal of the old packages by posting a bug against
ftp.debian.org.
Advice welcome and appreciated. Thanks.
--
Jay Berkenbilt <ejb@ql.org>
http://www.ql.org/q/
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