Re: splitting the ocaml package ???
On Thu, Mar 29, 2001 at 11:28:42AM +0200, Georges Mariano wrote:
> Sven LUTHER wrote:
>
> > Most people will expect to find the graphics module in the ocaml distribution,
> > and who has not xlibs installed ?
>
> Just my personal experience
> a) I never had to use graphics module since I'm working on non
> graphical software (yes it is possible to write such strange things...
> ;-)
I don't use it also, i use lablgtk/lablgl and/or mlgtk for graphics, but still
it may be expected ...
> b) the question is not "who has not xlibs installed" but "where ?",
> that is just think about server class machines !!
mmm, got you there ...
the xlibs package is the client (in the X sense of it) stuff that your
programs have to link against. These will have to run on your server (in the
non-X sense) box. You will then run the X server on your client box, and run
(on the server) the program linked with the X libraries which will be
displayed on the client box running the X server.
But then you may be speaking about a net server or something different than
the traditional unix server. In this case it may be possible to not need the
Xlibs. But then you will never attach a X terminal to them or something such,
even for server management stuff.
And even then, would you really do developpment on such a server box ? i guess
no, and you would be fine just installing the ocaml runtime package, or even
build only native code binaries.
But my question, is :
* is there really a need for this kind of thing in the debian package ?
* how many people are running debian on their server, and have ocaml
installed and don't want the xlibs ?
> Of course I have gnome/kde/gnumeric/xgalaga... and so on on *my* linux
> box, but this is just a particular case when considering a "real local
> network"...
No, any standard developpment box will have xlibs running on it. Pure servers
will most probably don't need to have ocaml installed upon.
> I'm just saying that there are other kind of linux boxes than personal
> & graphical ones, and it may be smart to keep it in mind... nothing
> more.
>
> If it is difficult/tricky to split following the suggested way, well
> ... don't split !
Well, it is tricky, particularly as i didn't find any documentation on the
subject.
But that said, i think the more important question is to see who are using
ocaml on debian :
* People who are using ocaml, let's say your student or so when you gave
them a project involving Graphics.
* People running a Web server or something, who, for security reason or
whatever, don't want any part of X installed on their system.
What i will do for now, is keep the Graphics module in the packages right now,
in the first stage of the split, and if there are people who really need a
X-less ocaml package, then i will consider splitting it, or even release a
ocaml-serverclass or whatever package. But i think the desagrement to people
expecting Graphics (one of the core ocaml libraries, even if you don't use it)
in the ocaml package is not worth it for an hypothetical X-less user.
Now, if someone thinks differently about it, please tell me.
Friendly,
Sven Luther
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