util-linux missing from build root

[Patrice Dumas]

On Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 08:44:21AM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
>
> Blah blah.
>
> I have packages broken because basic programs like 'awk' and 'getopt' are 
> missing.  All my Fedora contributions need to be rebuilt which is going to 
> take hours.

Not getopt, but popt-devel.

I proposed gawk to be added to the minimal buildroot.

> The aim of Fedora's team should be to encourage outside developers to 
> contribute, because **if outside developers are pissed like this and leave 
> for other friendlier distributions** then Fedora itself will be destroyed.

It is right that encouraging outside developers to contribute is
important, but following guidelines is at least as important. Your
packages dependended on packages not in the BuildRequires exceptions
list. This should have been spotted during the review but it wasn't, so
it is normal that it breaks later.

> So pointing to nebulous package guidelines as above is not just unhelpful, 
> but rude and will damage Fedora.  Instead, you should be working hard to 
> help contributors and not changing everything underneath them on whim.

The exception list is not a nebulous package guideline it is an
important guideline. Maybe you would prefer more packages in the minimal
build root, but it also has drawbacks. If the build root is bigger, then
there are more chances that an unwanted dependency enters, and it also
renders the minimal build root installation longer. So BuildRequires
exceptions have to be in the guidelines and the contributors must know
them.

And also this means that what is in the minimal build root should be
discussed because all the users don't have the same interests. In the
past wrong dependencies hide the issue, now it has become apparent, but
it was always here.

--
Pat