[Pkg-ia32-libs-maintainers] Bug#536756: Bug#536756: It really would be nice to still have ia32-libs

[Goswin von Brederlow]

Daniel Jacobowitz <drow at false.org> writes:

> reopen 536756
> thanks
>
> Hi Goswin,
>
> I think you've answered a different suggestion than the submitter
> actually made.  A lot of people want ia32-libs back in unstable,
> for those who aren't using ia32-apt-get.  But the other useful thing
> would be to let those using ia32-apt-get have packages named ia32-libs
> and ia32-libs-gtk installed.  I can't even make dummy packages because
> everything the latest ia32-apt-get generates has Conflicts/Replaces.
>
> There are external packages that depend on these; there will be for a
> while, and indefinitely if the packages re-enter unstable.  So
> could you add ia32-apt-get-generated packages to fulfill those
> dependencies?
>
> -- 
> Daniel Jacobowitz
> CodeSourcery

Mark Hymers is working on ia32-libs and ia32-libs-gtk. As soon as he
uploads them they will contain the same files in the same location as
the individual ia32-lib... packages. That means that without a
Replaces entry there would be overwrite problems. So the Replaces is
strictly neccessary.

Next think what happens if a user installs ia32-libs, then ia32-libfoo
and then removed ia32-libfoo again. ia32-libfoo would replace
/usr/lib32/libfoo.so.x from ia32-libs and on removal the file would
disapear leaving the system without a 32bit libfoo. The only way I see
to avoid that is to Conflict ia32-libs. That way the user has to pick
one or the other but each will always have its files.

Further what happens if ia32-libs has libfoo.so.1.0.0 and ia32-libfoo
has libfoo.so.1.0.1? Suddenly you would have two libraries with the
same major version installed. Packages depending on one or the other
would get the wrong one.

So you see, both Conflicts and Replaces are there for a reason and as
you say "I can't even make dummy packages". I just don't see a way to
have both a normal and a dummy ia32-libs package coexist.


If you can think of a way let me know but I think it just isn't
possible for ia32-apt-get to provide ia32-libs/ia32-libs-gtk dummy
packages. Only solution I can think of is to not only mangle the
binary-i386/Packages file but also the binary-amd64/Packages file and
replace any dependcy on ia32-libs or ia32-libs-gtk.

On the other hand packages depending on ia32-libs or ia32-libs-gtk
should have respective i386 packages that depend on the individual
packages. Install those instead. So, for example, instead of the
skype_amd64.deb that depends on ia32-libs you install the original
skype_i386.deb. I have some work in progress to make this work for
nvidia and ati binary drivers but they are special cases (as they
divert libraries). Most i386 debs should already work out of the box.

MfG
        Goswin