Subject: Re: BUILDLINK_DEPENDS.expat
To: Todd Vierling <tv@duh.org>
From: Johnny Lam <jlam@pkgsrc.org>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 03/23/2006 10:05:54
Todd Vierling wrote:
> 
> The way it's currently handled in pkgsrc is, in short:
> 
> BUILDLINK_DEPENDS: *API* changes.
> BUILDLINK_RECOMMENDED: *ABI* and/or security-related changes.
> 
> This is a really important distinction, and has made pkgsrc very flexible
> for "power users".  If we remove that distinction, we revert back to the
> older incarnation of pkgsrc which forces the rebuild-the-world dances even
> on those users who have the knowledge/experience to deal with such changes
> in a more staged or progressive manner.

If this is the case, I would rather we rename the variables to prevent 
any further confusion for developers or users:

	BUILDLINK_DEPENDS.*	-> BUILDLINK_API_DEPENDS.*
	BUILDLINK_RECOMMENDED.*	-> BUILDLINK_ABI_DEPENDS.*

As far as I can tell, buildlink is the only existing user for the 
RECOMMENDED processing in bsd.pkg.mk, so I think we should get rid of it 
and handle the BUILDLINK_{API,ABI}_DEPENDS.* directly in the buildlink 
framework.  Then I would rename:

	IGNORE_RECOMMENDED	-> IGNORE_ABI_DEPENDS

And add documentation that setting IGNORE_ABI_DEPENDS means you're 
managing those types of dependencies on your own.

	Cheers,

	-- Johnny Lam <jlam@pkgsrc.org>