* Dafydd Harries [Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:38:55 +0000]:
> > - finally, another new package is also created: ruby-interpreter,
> > which is equivalent to the old 'ruby' package (i.e., depends only
> > on rubyX.Y). As packages may depend on 'ruby' meaning "I only need
> > the interpreter", ruby-interpreter will Provide: ruby until all of
> > these dependencies can be changed.
> I see a problem with this:
> If there is a package that depends on ruby, meaning "ruby and all the
> standard library", and somebody has ruby-interpreter installed, then the
> dependencies will be satisfied (because of the Provides) but the
> necessary libraries will be missing.
FWIW, I wouldn't recommend that packages used the ruby package in
their Depends file unless they really need _every library_ (which is
gonna be quite unlikely, I think).
The point is, rationale for the current split is something along the
lines of 'packages can be very specific about what they need, so
people can have only the strictly necessary installed'. (*) So, the
rationale becomes a little bogus if maintainers start adding Depends:
ruby everywhere, just because it's easier.
(*) This may be important por people who don't write ruby but want
to use some ruby app. How would you feel if apt pulled 20
packages just to install a small script? I feel that we'd better
avoid annoying these users, for Ruby's own benefit (= acceptance).
Anyway, just my 2˘.
--
Adeodato Simó
EM: asp16 [ykwim] alu.ua.es | PK: DA6AE621
He who has not a good memory should never take upon himself the trade of lying.
-- Michel de Montaigne
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