Re: virtual package versions?
On Wed, Jun 24, 1998 at 05:55:47AM -0400, Raul Miller wrote:
> I took a look at putting virtual package versions into dpkg, and
> realized that there were some undefined issues:
>
> (1) If a package provides a package version and some other package
> conflicts with that package version, this would be a conflict, right? [I
> suspect we'll eventually regret this.]
>
> (2) A package should be able to provide multiple versions of a virtual
> package, right? [See (1) for one of the implications]
>
I understand your points but you should consider that a package provides
eithera virtual package (resolving non-version dependencies) or a specific
package version (resolving any dependencies that accept this particular
version of the package). If a package provides multiple versions of one
or multiple packages, it should be only because it has the interface for
all of them (example xemacs provides w3, compface, etc...). Don't put
range in the provide field, it will be unuseful and confusing when mix
with range dependancies ( I agreed although that I would prefer to see
range providing (for backward compatibility, as example) and version fix
dependancies. This encapsulate a little more the principle of library
interface then the current scheme with virtual package - Note that I
call library everything that provide a service, either a dictionnary
thana program or a real lib.so).
> Also note that I'm deliberately blurring the distinction between virtual
> packages and packages which provide "real package names"... I could not
> find any policy on providing non-virtual packages.
Hum.. Isn't mentionned that a virtual package can have the same name
than a real package? The policy doesn't make distinction between virtual
and real packages when talking about dependencies except that only
real packages can resolved version dependencies (currently :)
>
> I don't like this blurred distinction, but at the moment I'm not sure
> how it should be best addressed.
>
> --
> Raul
>
Ciao!
>
> --
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-policy-request@lists.debian.org
> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fabien Ninoles Debian GNU/Linux maintainer
aka Corbeau aka Baffouille The Freedom of Choice
E-mail: fab@tzone.org
WebPage: http://www.callisto.si.usherb.ca/~94246757
RSA PGP KEY [E3723845]: 1C C1 4F A6 EE E5 4D 99 4F 80 2D 2D 1F 85 C1 70
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-policy-request@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
Reply to: