On Sat, Feb 28, 2009 at 06:32:45PM +0100, Giacomo Catenazzi wrote:
> >> Hmmm. I partially agree, but then we have an unnecessary exception:
> >> such virtual packages must have only one "provider", or else there
> >> will be problems (IIRC) on dpkg, apt or ddbuild, if such dependency
> >> is declared as first dependency [1].

> >>From the definition of the virtual package in question, it should have only
> > one provider at a time.

> And this is an exception,

No, it isn't.

> >> I would prefer to create a real empty package:
> >> default-mta (maybe in a source package debian-defaults), which depends
> >> on exim.

> > This unavoidably couples Debian's choice of a default MTA for users who
> > install the new release, to the behavior for users who are upgrading from a
> > previous release, because users who have such a 'default-mta' package
> > installed will find their MTA changed on dist-upgrade.

> What about an other level of indirection:
> package debian-mta: Depends: exim | mta-mail-transfer-agent
> I think this case will solve upgrades, and changing easily the mta
> (without causing a failed dependency).

I believe that would also work, but it seems unnecessarily complex compared
to the use of a virtual package.

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                    http://www.debian.org/
slanga...@ubuntu.com                                     vor...@debian.org



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