Re: transition binNMUs
> Really we need that library XYZ-3 source package, depending on
> library ABC-5, built with Ocaml-3.09.0-4, should produce binary
> package
>
> XYZ-3-Ocaml-3.09.0-4
>
> depending on ABC-5-Ocaml-3.09.0-4: in other words the
> dependencies of the binary libraries depends ALSO
> on the binary version of Ocaml used to build it.
This is just wrong for any library that provides any form of binary
compatibility, even if it's just across minor revisions. It would
require recompiling essentially the whole archive once a new libc or
GCC version is uploaded. This is just unacceptable.
> Interestingly this is also the case for bytecode applications
> needing libraries, but it is is NOT the case for native
> code applications (the library is linked in already, so
> there is a build dependency but not a (nonbuild) dependency).
You can fix this for the bytecode application case by linking with
-custom.
> The point is: it is the Debian system itself which is broken,
> it does not manage dependencies very well at all (so much
> for 'advanced package manager' when it can't get even basic
> maths right).
Debian assumes that library packages provide a moderate amount of ABI
compatibility.
I wonder if we should stop precompiling Objective Caml sources
altogether, and use something like common-lisp-controller instead to
compile them during installation.
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