[arch-general] Handling optional dependencies with pacman?

[David C. Rankin]

Dieter Plaetinck wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:34:15 -0400
> David Rosenstrauch <darose at darose.net> wrote:
> 
>> David C. Rankin wrote:
>>> Listmates,
>>>
>>> 	Is there a better way to handle optional dependencies than
>>> just manually creating a list and checking it against the current
>>> installed packages to see if you need to install them before
>>> issuing the sync command and having some of the packages
>>> reinstalled?
>> I can think of one:  just don't install those packages at all until
>> you need them!
>>
>> DR
> 
> i use 2 custom bash functions.
> http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=59385
> 
> There are some rough plans to someday improve optdeps support in pacman
> itself though :)  See
> http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/User:Allan/Pacman_OptDepends
> 
> Dieter
> 

Great,

	Thanks, that gives me something to shoot for in my spare time ;-) From what I
can tell from watching the optional dependencies scroll by, it shouldn't be
that bad to capture then, do the necessary checks and then handle the install
of the dependencies in some sane manner. The real challenge will be getting
more than 3 people to agree on any one way to do it...

-- 
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
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