[Debian GNUstep maintainers] Re: [debian] Packaging of RSSKit/RSS Reader

[Damyan Ivanov]

Yavor Doganov wrote:
> Дамян Иванов wrote:
>> 1. Why split source packages? Why not simply produce three binary
>> packages from the same source?
> 
> Because RSS Reader will FTBFS if RSSKit is not installed.

I thought rsskit is built as part of the rssreader's build process.

>> 2. Why separate library package?
>> If librsskit is not for public use (by other packages) then I see no
>> value for separate library packages (librsskit0 and -dev). If librsskit
>> is to be used only by rssreader, then make librsskit0.so installed
>> somewhere in /usr/lib/rssreader and possibly link rssreader with it
>> using an rpath.
> 
> Currently it is used only by RSS Reader, but in the future it might be
> used by PlopFolio (and other apps not yet written).

Well, OK, but splitting a package is always possible - you can do it
when it is actually needed and make things simpler for now.

Your choice, though.

>> 3. Reading the bug log, I'd go for package rename. Mentioning the old
>> name in the description would make the new package findable via
>> apt-cache search...
> 
> I plan to do the reverse since that is the maintainer's preference.

Right. I just gave upstream's preference a little bit higher priority :)

To ease name change for users, a dummy transitional package may be
created. This also [co-]maintainer's choice.


George Danchev wrote:
> On Saturday 02 September 2006 09:14, Damyan Ivanov wrote:
>> 2. Why separate library package?
>> If librsskit is not for public use (by other packages) then I see no
>> value for separate library packages (librsskit0 and -dev).
>
> True, but that might easily change in the future and the library to
become of
> any use for others.

Predicting future is, well, risky business :)
Right now, two separate binary packages that are unused (outside of the
same source package) seems to me like a solution looking for a problem.

>> If librsskit
>> is to be used only by rssreader, then make librsskit0.so installed
>> somewhere in /usr/lib/rssreader and possibly link rssreader with it
>> using an rpath.
>
> Please please consider some of rpath's issues and alternatives ->
> http://wiki.debian.org/RpathIssue

Here's a quote from there that covers my suggestion:
  Currently, the only valid use of this feature in Debian is to add
  non-standard library path (like /usr/lib/<package>) to libraries
  that are only intended to be used by the executables
  (or other libraries) within the package.


dam
-- 
Damyan Ivanov                           Modular Software Systems
dam at modsoftsys.com
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