Bug#380402: madwifi-source: Unneeded dependancy in generated madwifi-modules-[kernelversion] package

[Kel Modderman]

On Sunday 30 July 2006 08:26, infernix wrote:
> Package: madwifi-source
> Version: 0.svnr1680.0.9.1-1
> Severity: normal
>
> When building the modules for a custom built kernel which has not been
> built with make-kpkg - and thus isn't installed as a package, the
> madwifi-modules-[kernelversion] package depends on
> [linux|kernel]-image-[kernelversion]. 

Well, the way i think, is when the kernel is installed by hand, usually any 
external modules are also managed in the same way. There is a tool to fake 
dependencies that I will mention below.

> This leads to a dependancy problem 
> with apt/dpkg, because even though everything compiles and works fine,
> madwifi-modules-[kernelversion] will be eligible for removal due to the
> fact that the manually installed kernel is not present as an installed
> package.

There is a tool to register your manually installed software as a debian 
package named 'eqivs'. This would allow dpkg to satisfy dependencies with 
locally installed stuff.

If you or Loic can convince me that this is indeed a problem, and not just a 
minor annoyance for people insisting on locally installing packages in a dpkg 
environment (in spite of the rich tools to assist in the installation of 
kernels such as kernel-package, module-assistant) I will relax it for next 
upload, which I just requested yesterday or so.


>
> I'm running etch but grabbed the latest from unstable and the problem is
> there as well. As an example, fglrx-kernel-src 'recommends'
> [linux-kernel]-image-[kernelversion]. What the exact policy is on this is
> unclear to me, but since this dependancy breaks the usage of the package
> and nothing else, it seems to me that the dependancy is not needed.

It breaks the dependency on a locally installed package, that has no 
dependencies or control data? Please further convince me that this is 
actually a problem in the packaging of this module, and that you should not 
use equivs to satisfy these depends when installing local software.

I personally like this dependency on the linux-image. The modules are 
worthless without the linux-image. It also prevents the modules from sticking 
around, wasting space, when the linux-image is removed.

Thanks, Kel.