Re: Package differences - bla_all.deb vs. bla.deb

[Bob Hilliard <hilliard@flinet.com>]

Hugo van der Merwe <hugo@mailroom.com> writes:

> 
> What is the difference between the
> 
>   locales_2.1.2-5_all.deb
> 
> package file and the
> 
>   locales_2.1.2-5.deb
> 
> package file? I assume packages with a _i386 "extention" are specifically
> for the i386 architecture. That makes me think the _all package is for all
> architectures, but then what is the package without any "extention" for?
> 
> Is there some place where I can see this kind of thing? I didn't notice it
> in the debian-policy documents. Maybe I didn't look in the right place? I
> would prefer a pointer to where I can get this information, so that I can
> easily get the complete information. I will not mind a direct answer
> though.
> 
> Thanks for the list's eagerness to help,
> Hugo van der Merwe


     The architecture tag (and all is a tag for architecture all) is
added by the package building tools to tell dinstall where to install
the package.  Since this tag is not used subsequently, it is stripped
off when the package is installed in the proper directory.  

     Since this is internal to the package building and archiving
tools, it isn't documented in policy or elsewhere, unless in the
comments in the source code for these tools.

Bob
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  |_)  _  |_       Robert D. Hilliard    <hilliard@flinet.com>
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