RPM dependency rationale (and kernel packages)?

[Jeff Johnson]

On Tue, Aug 19, 2003 at 07:36:19PM +0200, Jos Vos wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 19, 2003 at 01:23:11PM -0400, Jeff Johnson wrote:
> 
> > Feature, or at least necessity for legacy compatibility.
> > 
> > Before rpm-3.0.2, only Requires: and Conflicts: permitted versions.
> > 
> > In order to implement versioning for PreReq:, Obsoletes: and Provides:,
> > some way of not breaking backward<->forward compatibility had to be devised.
> 
> I now vaguely remember that this had been discussed years ago...
> Despite the possible workaround in the case of the kernel package,
> I still suggest to consider changing rpm's behaviour at some point
> in time, as it is unlogical, IMHO.
> 

Changing rpm's behavior? Surely you jest, there is simply no way
to change rpmvercmp behavior compatibly, and I do not wish to waste
the next couple of years explaining.

In fact, it's taken since rpm-3.0.2 to fix the last remaining piece
of this puzzle
	A missing Epoch: is now equivalent to Epoch: 0 everywhere
	and always forevermore.

That's like a 4 year deployment for a tedious missing value
problem with an obvious solution.

> Furthermore, the kernel package does not really use this "feature",
> as far as I can see, it would be fine to have version-release in
> the provides line too (Arjan: is this true?).
> 

Talk to Arjan. In fact, I had exactly this conversation regarding
	Requires: kernel = V-R
with Arjan about 6 months ago due to a brain fart on my part.

Adding a Release: to the Provides: causes any Requires: (as you wish
to write) in a package to be recompiled each and every time the kernel
gets rebuilt. That's unnecessarily Draconian imho.

OTOH, you are probably trying to roll 3rd party kernel modules, duh,
and there needs to be a better solution. I've been nudging the kernel
dilletantes for years, sigh.

Put needed kernel symbols directly into package Provides: and 3rd party
kernel module packaging instantly becomes more reliable.

(donning asbestos suit and tie ...)

73 de Jeff

-- 
Jeff Johnson	ARS N3NPQ
jbj at redhat.com (jbj at jbj.org)
Chapel Hill, NC