Jason Bradfield wrote: > Hi, > We are using snv_62, after the initial install we are removing packages > that we really do not need. > Initially I removed all Gnome then thought what will happen if I remove > all application category... > > I have found 2 discrepancies that I feel are bugs...unless my > understanding is wrong... > Both of these issues stemming from the fact that I would have thought > that packages that belong to the system category shouldn't be dependent > on application category packages. > > The first one is SUNWhal (hardware abstraction) is a system category > which is dependent on SUNWdbus-root which is application category.. > The other is SUNWzone* which is system and is dependent on SUNWluzone > (Live upgrade) which is application.. > > There is also packages that are in the system category which really > shouldn't be there eg GIMP. > > Personally I would have liked system (all core system level > tools/utilities), xserver (X server), and application (everything else). > Then if I want a headless server I just install the system packages. If > I want headless but need X for say image generation software, or I can > also install xserver but I don't get Gnome and CDE they should be > application packages and be installed as needed... > > Is there an reasoning behind this? >
The answer is that, no, there really isn't any reasoning behind it. The CATEGORY field contents are a fairly arbitrary classification system, I don't think they're audited in any meaningful way, and I wouldn't consider them to be particularly useful in maintaining the system. The "-Y" stuff in pkgadd is probably more an old AT&T System V-ism than anything, though I do note that some consolidations (JDS) appear to make more use of it than others. We certainly don't have any rules about dependencies between categories. Dave
