On 02/08/2010 04:05 PM, fons@kokkinizita.net wrote:
On Mon, Feb 08, 2010 at 04:38:46PM -0600, Aaron Griffin wrote:
A package is not a single .so file, unless that is your proposal - to split all .so files into their own packages.
Here is a list of files that would conflict if this was done with libpng: libpng /usr/bin/libpng-config libpng /usr/bin/libpng12-config libpng /usr/bin/png2pnm libpng /usr/bin/pnm2png libpng /usr/include/libpng12/png.h libpng /usr/include/libpng12/pngconf.h libpng /usr/include/png.h libpng /usr/include/pngconf.h libpng /usr/lib/pkgconfig/libpng.pc libpng /usr/lib/pkgconfig/libpng12.pc libpng /usr/share/licenses/libpng/LICENSE libpng /usr/share/man/man3/libpng.3.gz libpng /usr/share/man/man3/libpngpf.3.gz libpng /usr/share/man/man5/png.5.gz
If these files are in the same package, they will be replaced together with the library. As far as package management is concerned the old version doesn't exist anymore. The only thing that remains of it is the actual binary and one symlink, to be used by apps that have been linked with it. All the rest can be forgotten.
If these files are not in the same package, there should be a dependency relation so they are still replaced together with the binary library file.
All other distros I've used before just did this, no fuss, no problems.
Besides, what is the point of a 'rolling release' if you are still forced to do bulk updates as a side effect ? With a non-rolling versioned release at least this happens only when you expect it.
Ciao,
I assume the reason Arch doesn't do this is to make it easy to build packages. If you want an example of how "amazing" splitting packages up is, take a look at Ubuntu's package for Pidgin, then look at Arch's PKGBUILD. Good look replacing any Ubuntu package with your own custom version without spending 3 days editing files every time there's an update. Honestly, building a library from the AUR when you need it is much simpler than packaging everything Ubuntu style.