Features desirable for packaging

[Vincent Lefevre]

On 2007-08-30 11:30:39 -0700, Landon Fuller wrote:
> I like subpackages -- especially for things like -server vs -client, but 
> I'm not so sure about debian-style header packages -- there's not much 
> advantage to not shipping headers (save a few k), and it complicates the 
> dependency tree and requires the user to select multiple packages for 
> installation. I also admittedly have a heavy developer bias here.

This depends on the libraries: sometimes it saves a lot (I can see that
on my old laptop with its 9-GB drive). Remember that -dev packages are
not just header packages; they also contain the static library.

But the most important point is that one can install several versions
of a shared library (useful in case of API change[*]), whereas if the
headers (and static library) were included, there would be a conflict.

[*] This could solve the well-known breakage in MacPorts when one
upgrades some library, sometimes making packages depending on it
no longer work.

-- 
Vincent Lefèvre <vincent at vinc17.org> - Web: <http://www.vinc17.org/>
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Work: CR INRIA - computer arithmetic / Arenaire project (LIP, ENS-Lyon)