Re: Avoiding software duplication

[Greg Troxel <gdt%lexort.com@localhost>]

Cág <ca6c%bitmessage.ch@localhost> writes:

> Greg Troxel wrote:
>
>>> Most major Linux distributions include Python in the base
>>> installation.
>>> The EL family, for example, depends on it, since YUM is written in it.
>>
>> And, I often hear people having problems because the included
>> version is
>> too old.  This hasn't happened for a few years, but until crazily
>> recently people wanted python packages to keep 2.4 support because some
>> very old LTS of CentOS (or something like that) had 2.4.  Usually the
>> suggestion for them is to use pkgsrc :-)
>
> RHEL5, which, in fact, was released in 2007 and uses the 2.6.18
> kernel, has
> Python 2.4.  And it's going to be supported (ELS) until 2020.

wow!

>> Many things in pkgsrc have a "builtin.mk" file that controls whether
>> the
>> base system version is used or the package version when a bl3 is
>> included.   Some of these are acutally in mk/ instead.
>
> I see.  Some of the OpenSSL libraries/headers weren't installed,
> that's why
> it was pulled from pkgsrc.

pkgsrc typically insists on a first-class version of something in order
to use it.  I think that's a feature.


>> I have never heard of our python packages being able to use the base
>> system version.  The rest of pkgsrc expects the python build to be just
>> as pkgsrc builds it, and trying to use the base one seems likely to be
>> difficult.  But, if you want to experiment and locally add builtin
>> support and see how it goes, that would be interesting.   I will say
>> that for python, I expect you to run into a lot of issues which are
>> nontrivial to resolve.
>
> I think I'll try that, out of curiosity.

Note that pkgsrc is unlikely to accept changes for builtin if there are
any problems caused, or if the exercise feels too contorted.  But
perhaps this really will work.  And of course you are most welcome to
enjoy trying!