File deps outside "/etc {/usr,}/{s,}bin/"

[Axel Thimm]

On Wed, Dec 13, 2006 at 06:00:38PM +0100, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
> %pre: fedora-packaging at redhat.com CCed, reply-to set to
> fedora-extras-list at redhat.com -- I suspects mailman will eat it; please
> simply reply to fedora-extras-list manually to avoid further
> crossposting and slitted discussions; tia!

mailman seems to do fine ;)

> skvidal mentioned in #fedora-extras we should consider going through all
> packages and look out for unnecessary file deps outside of "/etc
> /usr/sbin/ /usr/bin/ /sbin/ /bin/". Those are covered by the primary
> dataset yum loads normally. Yum has do load a second, (often big) file
> to depsolve the others; that often slows down depsolving packages a lot
> -- most of us were probably bitten by this already in the past and know
> what I'm talking about.
> 
> So, should we try to get rid of such deps as much as possible? And maybe
> even put a short note into the packaging guidelines that file based deps
> outside of "/etc {/usr,}/{s,}bin/" slow down yum and therefore should be
> avoided if possible?
> 
> Options?

In the packaging guidelines I'd rather argue that *manual* file based
dependencies should only be used if there is really a reason to,
including bin/sysconfigdirs.

Possible reasons can be:

o portability between releases (package renames/splits)
o poor man's arch dependencies, e.g. depending on /usr/lib/python2.4
  will make sure python.i386 will be pulled in on x86_64.
o are there any others?

Sometimes the first item is abused "in advance", e.g. for initscripts
or kernel-utils which contain(ed) stuff that developers felt they may
get split into another package, even if they didn't at that time.
-- 
Axel.Thimm at ATrpms.net
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