Re: virtual package versions?
--On Wed, Jun 24, 1998 5:55 am -0400 "Raul Miller" <rdm@test.legislate.com>
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]
>
> 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.
Well, here's one approach:
All package names are potentially virtual, in the sense that any other
package might provide them. However, each package has exactly one canonical
name, and canonical version.
I suggest that while we allow dependencies to be satisfied by virtual (i.e.
Provides: line) package, we do not enforce conflicts with them. We enforce
conflicts with only the 'real' or 'canonical' package name.
I cannot see this as causing problems, and as you suggest, I think the
alternative might cause problems. Networks of versioned provides like this
should be rare, anyway.
My solution just means that the conflicts, if it is needed, must be put in
the package providing the virtual packages, if it really applies.
E.g:
Package emacs
Package my_funny_editor
Conflicts: emacs (for some odd reason)
Package my_emacs_clone
Provides: emacs
Now, my_emacs_clone should not conflict with my_funny_editor, since that
conflict might be because of some curious buglet in emacs. If
my_emacs_clone does in fact conflict, put the conflict line in
my_emacs_clone.
Jules
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| Julian Bean | jmlb2@hermes.cam.ac.uk | TW9 2TF *UK* |
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