[ On , January 11, 2003 at 05:46:43 (GMT), MLH wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: everything is a dependency and preventing removal
>
> > Most of the issues I raised have to do with the package database, not
> > how you initially configure and build a package in isolation.
> 
> Yep, we are talking about the same thing.

No, I don't think we are.

I'm _not_ talking about how packages are built -- but rather only how
they are managed on the systems where they are installed.

I'm assuming there's a clean way to build binary packages regardless of
their dependencies and regardless of whether they can be deleted before
they're re-installed.

While pkg_install is a special case (it can't be de-installed in order
to upgrade it because it installs itself), it's indicative of a more
general problem with critical system packages that cannot first be
de-installed in order install a different version (i.e. to
{up,down}grade them).

Rules have to be devised for INSTALL/DEINSTALL scripts and support has
to be added so that obsoleted files can be identified and dealt with.

Ideally something also should be done such that a very simple procedure
can be used to undo a failed partial {up,down}grade too -- i.e. the
package system must not overwrite files, but rather shuffle them around
some how so that they can be put back if something goes wrong.

-- 
								Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098;            <g.a.woods@ieee.org>;           <woods@robohack.ca>
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