A long standing task we had was:
o virtual packages and provides/conflicts: we would expect that if
  two packages provide FOO they automatically also conflict
  each other. But this seems to be not the case. See MTA and
  sendmail/postfix/exim/ssmtp as an example.

I've now made all our packages with either a 'Provides' or 'Conflicts' list
consistent with the above task description. The good thing is that we now have
consistency. The bad thing is that I and Michael am wondering if we want
consistency on this level.

What we know:
  We already have rpm to tell us when files conflict at install time
  We have the 'Provides' and 'Conflicts' lists to use (or not) as we want

An alternative would be to never use the conflicts field, thereby transferring
responsibility of a consistent runtime instance to the admin installing
packages to (possibly multiple) instances. Another alternative is to break
this consistency between the 'Provides' and 'Conflicts' fields, in which we
redefine a conflicting package as any that has file conflicts.

If anyone has an opinion about this, then I'll make the changes.

-- 
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Development Team, Application Services
Cable & Wireless Deutschland GmbH

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