[Fedora-packaging] directory ownership in f-spot package

[Paul Howarth]

On 28/08/09 14:12, Christian Krause wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Trying to fulfill all requirements regarding the directory ownership
> described here
> http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/Guidelines#FileAndDirectoryOwnership
> has some implications for the f-spot package:
>
>
> Please consider the following:
> A package (here f-spot) provides a screensaver plugin for
> gnome-screensaver in /usr/libexec/gnome-screensaver/ .
>
> I see 3 possible solutions how to handle the directory ownership of
> /usr/libexec/gnome-screensaver (which is already owned by
> gnome-screensaver package):
>
>
> 1. The most trivial way would be to let f-spot depend on the
> gnome-screensaver, don't own /usr/libexec/gnome-screensaver and just put
> its executable there.
> The drawback is that it may not be wanted that the installation of a
> photo managing software requires the installation of a specific screensaver.
>
>
> 2. The f-spot package could make use of the exception and own
> /usr/libexec/gnome-screensaver/ as well. However, the functionality-wise
> f-spot's screensaver would still depend on gnome-screensaver. There
> would be also the minor problem that the package would claim to provide
> a functionality in various menus which would not be there if
> gnome-screensaver would not be installed.
>
>
> 3. I could move screensaver part of f-spot into a sub-package. Only the
> sub-package would then require gnome-screensaver. This would properly
> satisfy all packaging requirements, but the users who want this
> functionality must install the sub-package manually since they will
> loose this feature during the update from the complete package to the
> one which is split in two parts.
>
>
>> From a packaging point of view I tend to choose option 3 despite its
> drawbacks.
>
> Would this be a good way?

Yes, and you could work around the drawback by making the screensaver 
subpackage obsolete versions of f-spot prior to the package split, so 
that people upgrading would get the screensaver bit by way of the 
obsolete and the main package by being pulled in as a dependency of the 
screensaver subpackage.

Paul.