[arch-general] Handling optional dependencies with pacman?

[Andrei Thorp]

Well, they're optional dependencies. Generally, I don't want them
installed, if you mean that pacman should install them automatically.

If you mean more that there should be a way to manually install
optional dependencies sanely in some way, I agree. I think, though,
the problem's not installing them but rather tracking them. Allan's
opt dep tracking proposal at the given wiki link sounds like a really
good plan though. I'm all for that, nothing further is needed.

-AT

On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 6:38 PM, David C. Rankin
<drankinatty at suddenlinkmail.com> wrote:
> 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
> 510 Ochiltree Street
> Nacogdoches, Texas 75961
> Telephone: (936) 715-9333
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> www.rankinlawfirm.com
>