RFC: X library package changes, dependancy changes, freedesktop.org xlibs, etc.

[Sam Varshavchik]

Mike A. Harris writes:

> All rpm packages containing applications/libs which link to the
> standard X11 libraries, currently have hard coded dependancies 
> such as:
> 
> Requires: XFree86-libs
> Buildrequires: XFree86-devel

At least the first part should not be necessary.

find-requires.pl will automatically add dependencies on every shared library 
loaded by any binary in the package.  pan, for example, automatically gets a 
dependency on libgdk-x11-2.0.so.0, by the virtue of linking with it.

This dependency is provided by the gtk2 RPM which, in turn, automatically 
has a dependency on libX11.so.6, libXext.so.6, and others, by the virtue of 
linking against those libraries.  This is sufficient to require 
XFree86-libs.

I don't think you need anything special to correctly resolve runtime 
dependency of X applications.  If you use a substitute X11 server+libraries, 
as long as the substitute installs libX11.so.6, et al, everything will work 
correctly.

find-provides.pl automatically declares a provides for all matching shared 
libraries installed by the package, so you do not need to do anything 
explicit with the substitute X11 servers/runtime libraries.  As long as they 
install shared libraries that have the same names (even if they are 
installed in different directories!), all runtime dependencies will be 
satisfied.

As far as development libraries go, it does look like an explicit Requires: 
may be necessary.

You might be able to get away with adding "Provides: XFree86-devel" to 
substitute X development libraries.  It shouldn't prevent them from 
co-habiting with the real XFree86-devel, or other substitutes, and RPMs that 
explicitly require XFree86-devel should still be buildable.

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