On Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:25:40 -0600
Shawn Walker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Note that trying to create a consistent development environment on
> > Linux systems that skip installing such optional bits as headers is a
> > major PITA. You never seem to get all the -dev/-devel packages you
> > need the first try, and some things will build anyway, not run the
> > tests because that "optional" part of the software wasn't built, and
> > install software that doesn't meet your requirements.
>
> ...which is why I've been hoping for something more intelligent.
>
> Some users are not going to want headers they will never use installed,
> other users are going to want everything (kitchen sink style), and
> some users will want an interesting mix (i.e. GNOME headers, but not
> libfoo headers).
I claim there's only two sane states: either you install all the dev
bits for everything you install, or you install none of them. Other
developers will disagree, but nobody has ever said you had to be sane
to write software.
The problem with picking and choosing development bits is that you
never know you're going to break that's interconnected. I.e., you're
working on Gnome, but not libfoo, even though you have it
installed. So you rebuild some language/tool/library for which foo
support is a variant - triggered by existence of the libfoo
headers. Suddenly any application that uses that whatever - expecting
the foo-supporting variant if you want foo support - no longer has
that, so it blows up because it can't access foos any more, never mind
that all the headers it uses and the foo library are still there. My
favorite example foo is openssl - lots of things will quietly build
without ssl support if the openssl headers aren't there, resulting in
applications that stop recognizing the secure variants of their
protocols.
<mike
--
Mike Meyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.mired.org/consulting.html
Independent Network/Unix/Perforce consultant, email for more information.
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