[arch-dev-public] [aur-general] GHC 7.8.1 packaging decisions for Arch Linux

[Thomas Dziedzic]

On Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 7:20 PM, Jeremy Audet <ichimonji10 at gmail.com> wrote:

> > Doesn't every language with its own package manager have this problem?
> For example, Python.  Is there a good solution?  Users knowing about this
> issue and making their own decisions is the current solution on every
> distro I'm familiar with.
>
> Aye. There are some upshots to allowing users to install software via
> either the system package manager or a language-specific one, instead of
> forcing them down a single path. For example, with ruby: tools such as
> bundler, rbenv and rvm provide users with some awesome capabilities, such
> as being able to install multiple versions of Ruby and multiple versions of
> gems, either system-wide, in a user's home directory or in a custom
> directory. That's very useful, and the user should have that option - but
> if the user wants a simpler, more straightforward option, they can use
> `gem` or `pacman`. (And the choice between gem and pacman has its own
> tradeoffs.)
>
> Couldn't the same be said of Haskell packages? Using pacman to manage
> haskell packages provides some niceties, such as automatic updates
> (whenever -Syu is performed), whereas cabal-install provides its own
> niceties, such as access to numerous packages. So... is there anything
> wrong with letting the user choose the tool that suits their needs?
>

I guess I should modify my wording for Change 2 to be:

"Change 2: Make a news item stating that either cabal-install or pacman
packages are now the recommended way to install haskell packages. Not both
in one system."