I would like to see the following dependency tag(s): Optional: <dependency> Optional(<scriptlet>): <dependency>
The "Optional:" dependency tag would be used to describe a situation where a package is not required, but, if it is installed, has an EVR (Epoch-Version-Revision) dependency. Useful for (among other things) a loosely coupled suite of packages. I would also like to see the following companion macro and script: %__find_optional /usr/lib/rpm/find-optional The "%__find_optional" macro and "find-optional" script would work similar to "%__find_requires", it would automatically mark all sub-packages of a package as mutually "Optional" to each other. Since "%__find_requires" and "%__find_optional" will sometime conflict, and while this should be obvious, to be more complete, "Requires" should override "Optional". And, finally, a build dependency tag: BuildOptional: <dependency> Most of what this would do is already handled by "--with" and "--without" conditional build semantics. "BuildOptional:" is probably not that useful at the spec file level, but, at the source RPM level it would provide a machine readable way of documenting what "--with" and "--without" options were available. Thoughts? TIA Roy A. Gilmore -- A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. (R. A. Heinlein, "Time Enough for Love", 248) _______________________________________________ Rpm-maint mailing list Rpm-maint@lists.rpm.org http://lists.rpm.org/mailman/listinfo/rpm-maint
