[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: new fields in debian/control



On Wed, Jul 19, 2000 at 11:00:31AM -0400, Gopal Narayanan wrote:
> On Sun, Jul 16, 2000 at 01:32:26PM -0400, Wichert Akkerman wrote:
> > Package: packaging-manual
> > 
> > I'm adding three new fields to debian/control:
> >   
> > * Origin
> >   This lists the origin of a package. For all Debian packages this should
> >   be `Debian'. 
> > * Submit-Bugs-To
> >   An mailto URL to which bugs should be submitted. (It's a URL so
> >   we can support other types of BTSes at a later date if needed)
> > * Submit-Bugs-Style
> >   Style in which submitted bugreports should be formatted. Currently
> >   the only option here is `debbugs'.
> 
> 
> While we are on the topic of items to add to debian/control, I would
> like to suggest
> 
> * Install-Depends
> 
> This field could be used to specify packages that are required only
> during the installation phase, eg. packages such as debconf, wget,
> etc. Packages in the Install-Depends field are completely unnecessary
> for the normal execution of the installed package. Once the
> installation phase is over, these packages might be safely
> removed. Packages like deborphan can remove Install-depends packages
> to eliminate further cruft from a system.

That makes sense, but doesn't sound like a good idea to me. People would
start removing debconf after every upgrade, only to redownload and install
it the next time that upgrade. This goes for several other packages
aswell. Probably, if this is ever implemented, then it should be
restricted to packages needed for initial install, but not for ones needed
during upgrades. This would avoid the need to download those
Install-Depends for every upgrade, but more than likely this field would
be so underused, it wouldn't be worth it.

-- 
 -----------=======-=-======-=========-----------=====------------=-=------
/  Ben Collins  --  ...on that fantastic voyage...  --  Debian GNU/Linux   \
`  bcollins@debian.org  --  bcollins@openldap.org  --  bcollins@linux.com  '
 `---=========------=======-------------=-=-----=-===-======-------=--=---'



Reply to: