Subject: Re: Sub package proposal
To: None <itojun@iijlab.net>
From: TAKEMURA Shin <takemura@netbsd.org>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 10/23/2000 14:55:46
itojun wrote:
 > >> The basic idea is that I want to install a part of a package. Mostly,
 > >> I need man pages but I don't need document files. To do that, I want
 > >> to introduce 'sub package'. We have to define some 'pre-defined sub
 > >> packages', for example,
 > >(snip)
 > >If I install 'core' and 'doc' of 'archivers/arc', what is registered
 > >as installed, that is, how does it look like under /var/db/pkg? Like
 > >'arc-5.21e'? Or 'arc-5.21e-core' and 'arc-5.21e-doc'?
 > 
 > 	i assumed the former (arc-5.21e).

My idea is that /var/db/pkg/arc-5.21e/+CONTENTS contains
'@installed core doc' and dbm database has same information
appropriately.

If some package depends on other packages, i.e. the PLIST has
a @pkgdep directive like '@pkgdep foo>=1.0', pkg_add will check
whether core subpackage of the package foo is installed or not.
It it isn't installed, the installation will fail. (or pkg_add
might attempt to add the subpackage in the way which I wrote
other mail.) If a package depends on more than core subpackage,
you should put '@pkgdep foo>=1.0 ext dev' in the PLIST.
(shiver:-)

This story is only for binary packages. If you attempt to
build/install a package from pkgsrc, it expect that all
subpackages of depending packages were installed. I suppose 
that most people will install all subpackages though the new 
subpackage system were availavle. Users who don't install some
subpackages should take some risk.

Takemura