Re: Essential virtual packages
Glenn McGrath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >I cant find any details on the virtual package kernel-image except its >name, do virtual packages have priorities and can they be marked >essential ? Virtual packages are called that because they are just names that are provided by other packages. The packages that provide them have priorities and can be marked essential, sure. But, since there's no entry in the Packages file for them, there's nowhere to mark the virtual package itself essential. The situation is slightly different with mixed virtual packages, where you also have a real package by the same name; for instance, trn is a real package and is also provided by strn. However, the control fields of trn still don't apply to strn; the virtual package is a different entity to the real package by the same name. I'm sure I've explained this badly, because it's complicated. For the full, accurate details, you should look in section 2.3.5 of the Debian Policy Manual (package debian-policy) and section 8.4 of the Debian Packaging Manual (package packaging-manual). -- Colin Watson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Essential virtual packages
Ben Collins wrote: > > On Sat, Aug 19, 2000 at 04:16:08PM +1000, Glenn McGrath wrote: > > Im trying to understand a few things relating to packaging... take the > > kernel for example > > > > I cant find any details on the virtual package kernel-image except its > > name, do virtual packages have priorities and can they be marked > > essential ? > > Kernel is not and essential package for two very specific reasons. > Firstly, the user might not wish to use a packaged kernel, and rely on > manually installed kernels. Secondly, it is very possible to not have a > kernel installed on the local system at all, like for network based > clients. > Ahh, ok, didnt think of that.. > As far as your situation, if you installed the same version as the > original kernel, then it replaced that package. > I was more concerned that if the kernel installed by the kernel should be listed and its not, then it could be considered a minor bug and should be fixed. Im still wondering about properties of virtual packages, another example comes to mind, bash. A shell is esential, but does it have to be bash ? Could there be an esential virtual package called shell or something that was provided by either bash, zsh, ash or any shell demed to be of good enough quality, or is bash esential because there a bash specific shell scripts in other esential packages ? Glenn
Re: Essential virtual packages
On Sat, Aug 19, 2000 at 04:16:08PM +1000, Glenn McGrath wrote: > Im trying to understand a few things relating to packaging... take the > kernel for example > > I just did a fresh install of potato, and then installed my own kernel > image built by kernel-package, dselect lists my custom kernel as being > the only kernel-image installed, i cant see any reference to the > original kernel image. > Shouldnt both be the original kernel and my custom kernel be listed as > being installed? > > According to my understanding from the policy manual the functionality > provided by the virtual package kernel-image, which in my case is > supplied by both the original and custom kernel should be both required > and Essential... > > I cant find any details on the virtual package kernel-image except its > name, do virtual packages have priorities and can they be marked > essential ? Kernel is not and essential package for two very specific reasons. Firstly, the user might not wish to use a packaged kernel, and rely on manually installed kernels. Secondly, it is very possible to not have a kernel installed on the local system at all, like for network based clients. As far as your situation, if you installed the same version as the original kernel, then it replaced that package. -- ---===-=-==-=---==-=-- / Ben Collins -- ...on that fantastic voyage... -- Debian GNU/Linux \ ` [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ' `---=--===-=-=-=-===-==---=--=---'
Essential virtual packages
Im trying to understand a few things relating to packaging... take the kernel for example I just did a fresh install of potato, and then installed my own kernel image built by kernel-package, dselect lists my custom kernel as being the only kernel-image installed, i cant see any reference to the original kernel image. Shouldnt both be the original kernel and my custom kernel be listed as being installed? According to my understanding from the policy manual the functionality provided by the virtual package kernel-image, which in my case is supplied by both the original and custom kernel should be both required and Essential... I cant find any details on the virtual package kernel-image except its name, do virtual packages have priorities and can they be marked essential ? Glenn
