Missing pkgconfig dependencies

[Daniel Veillard]

On Wed, Mar 30, 2005 at 12:24:13AM -1000, Warren Togami wrote:
> Daniel Veillard wrote:
> >On Tue, Mar 29, 2005 at 11:51:24PM -1000, Warren Togami wrote:
> >
> >>http://tinyurl.com/493x7
> >>(Bugzilla query)
> >>
> >>Hi, if you are receiving this, then one or more of your packages are 
> >>missing dependencies according to their provided pkgconfig files.  While 
> >>this is seemingly inconsequential, it is important to fix these because 
> >>otherwise it prevents many missing and wrongly duplicated BuildRequires 
> >>in other packages.  Waste of time with bad reports and bad changes in 
> >>other packages.
> >
> >
> >  I don't understand what is the consequence of adding a library to 
> >  pkgconfig.
> >Suppose package A requires gamin to work. It will link with gamin or fam.
> >It does not need to link with glib. But glib is needed for gamin server
> >and the server only not the library used by the client application. The
> >package of the application depending on gamin should *not* get a glib
> >dependancy, only gamin need to. It seems the bug raised break that test
> >case, but I don't understand how pkgconfig works.
> >  Do you have a clear normative description of pkgconfig which could 
> >explain how that case need to be handled ? If by requiring gamin/fam
> >all KDE suddenly get a glib dependancy people will complain publicly
> >that's 100 sure. So I'm very reluctant following the advice in
> >  https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=152486
> >or in your mail.
> >
> >Daniel
> >
> 
> My response is only "builds fail without it", political reasons should 
> not override reality.  However...
> 
> https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-maintainers/2005-March/msg00132.html
> Michael explains here with more detail.  If you have a response, then 
> please respond on that list.

  Okay I have only one normative text for what pkgconfig is all about:

man pkg-config
-------------------------
The pkg-config program is used to retrieve information about installed
libraries in the system.  It is typically used  to  compile  and  link
against  one or more libraries.  Here is a typical usage scenario in a
Makefile:
-------------------------

  pkg-config is there to get library dependancies. Program needing fam or
gamin support need it to get the libraries to link to. The output of
pkgconfig cflags or link must *NOT* show glib output, even if from a 
packaging level, gamin requires glib for the server side. The fact that
KDE requires fam or gamin, does not mean it should link against glib.
So without further detailed information allowing to disambiguate using
pkgconfig for it's original goal of simplifying compiling and linking from
the added use as a packaging dependancy, bug #152486 is a WONTFIX for me.

Daniel

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