On 2005-01-22 Martin Kittel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I am still favouring the solution using "Depends" and scripts to > detect whether you are running the right kernel.
> First, I think "Depends" is what should be done because that's what > package management systems are about in the first place: declaring > what you need to have to be able to run something. If you decide to > install stuff outside your package management system, it is your > problem if it later complains about missing dependencies. That's the > price you have to pay. And I don't think anybody who is running a > self-compiled version of libc is expecting package maintainers to > downgrade their dependency to "Recommends" or remove it completely. [...] Hello, That is a bogus comparison. For the whole time I have been using Debian it has been accepted and supported practice to _not_ use kernel-package but "make install" for the kernel. Installing kernel's as .deb has always been optional. On a freshly installed Debian system you can happily uninstall any kernel-image package because there are no[1] dependencies on it, *because* installing kernels with make install is supported practice. OTOH anybody installing glibc with make-install will get "You shot yourself" on _any_ report of a problem. [...] > And finally, to come back to my initial question: Is there a way of > declaring a dependency on NPTL other than depending on > kernel-image-2.6? Package dependencies are simply not suited for depending on kernel features, because a) "make install" in sanctioned for kernels b) The fact that a kernel-image is installed does not tell you anything about whether the kernel-feature is actually available as this kernel-image might be installed but not running. A debconf warning displayed conditionally in preinst and config (debconf will only show it once but depending on whether dpkg-preconfigure is used one or the other script will run earlier) still seems to be the best way. cu andreas [1] Except for acouple of kernel-modules packages, which depend on a specific kernel compiled with specific options selected. -- "See, I told you they'd listen to Reason," [SPOILER] Svfurlr fnlf, fuhggvat qbja gur juveyvat tha. Neal Stephenson in "Snow Crash" http://downhill.aus.cc/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]